Key Takeaways
- The additional duty on apples was reduced, prompting a PDP protest in Srinagar.
- The PDP argues the move is economic terrorism against Kashmiri horticulture.
- Union Finance Ministry also removed duties on chickpeas, lentils, walnuts, and almonds.
Srinagar: Peoples Democratic Party on Wednesday staged a protest against the union government’s decision to reduce additional duty on apples imported from the United States.
The party workers called the decision by the union government as “economic terrorism” which they alleged is aimed at destroying the economy of farmers in J&K.
The party chief spokesman Suhail Bukhari who led the protest in Srinagar said that the decision to give tax waiver to apples from the US came at a time when the apple harvest season in Kashmir is at its peak .
“Horticulture is the backbone of our economy and it is being constantly targeted by the present union government,” Bukahri told reporters.
Last week the Union Finance Ministry announced the removal of additional duties on several US products, including chickpeas, lentils (masur), apples, walnuts in shells, and fresh or dried almonds, as well as shelled almonds.
The notification arrived a day before US President Joe Biden‘s visit to India for the G20 Summit.
The PDP spokesman said that the financial conditions of millions of growers associated with the apple industry are bad.
“Government should have supported them, but on the contrary, apples from abroad were made cheaper so that the price of apples from Jammu and Kashmir would go down. This is not only a matter of concern for Jammu and Kashmir but also in Himachal Pradesh where apples are grown,” he said.
Bukhari demanded that this decision by the union government be withdrawn so that the horticulture industry of Jammu and Kashmir can be saved.
