Mandi to Host Country’s First Clean Plant Center Under Asian Development Bank’s Program. 

Mandi to Host Country’s First Clean Plant Center Under Asian Development Bank’s Program.

 

Shimla:

 

Deepak Sharma, former District President of the Mandi District Congress Committee, expressed gratitude to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Horticulture Minister Jagat Singh Negi for selecting Samrahan in the Sadar Assembly constituency to establish the country’s first Clean Plant Center under the Asian Development Bank’s Clean Plant Program. Sharma praised the Chief Minister’s positive vision for the state’s overall development, emphasizing that despite being from the opposition, Sukhu ensured there was no hindrance to the region’s development.

Sharma also appreciated Sukhu’s focus on self-reliant Himachal and prioritizing public welfare projects over narrow regional politics. He highlighted that the Chief Minister is always focused on ensuring that no part of Himachal remains untouched by development.

In his meeting with Horticulture Minister Jagat Singh Negi in Shimla, Sharma thanked him for the successful selection of Samrahan for the project, which will soon see the formal groundbreaking after completing some necessary formalities. A survey has already been completed for the Clean Plant Program’s plant center, which will reduce the region’s dependence on imported plants from countries like the U.S. and Italy.

Once established, the center will provide virus-free, high-quality plants to orchardists in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and Uttarakhand at up to four times lower prices. The plants will be free of quarantine requirements and will yield faster, with international-quality fruits. For instance, while a single plant currently costs between Rs. 700-800, the new center will offer plants for just Rs. 150-200.

Each year, Himachal Pradesh imports approximately one crore plants from abroad. The center will include a high-tech lab, similar to the virus-free testing lab at Nauni University, to test each plant and issue a certification of being virus-free.

Deepak Sharma concluded by stating that the establishment of this Clean Plant Center will be a milestone for the development of Mandi, for which the people of Sadar are grateful to Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Horticulture Minister Jagat Singh Negi.

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