Ahead of the interim Union budget for 2024-25 in the poll year, people in Himachal Pradesh expect the Modi government to take care of the state's economic concerns, mainly in the Tourism and Apple industry, apart from addressing the general issues of unemployment and inflation.
The tourism industry in the state was badly hit by Covid-19 in 2020-2021 and then the worst natural calamity in Monsoons in 2023.
“It’s quite evident that the tourism industry has not been able to stand on its feet again like before after the two setbacks. The state is reeling under a financial crunch and has not been able to do anything to lift the tourism industry. The Centre should primarily look into the air connectivity issue for Himachal and work out cheaper flights to the hill state from the national capital in the budget announcements on Feb 1,” said Ashwani Bamba, a leading hotelier in Dharamshala.
Patron of the Federation of Himachal Pradesh Hotels and Restaurants Association, Bamba said it is surprising that the flights between Delhi and Dharamshala are priced as high as Rs 20,000-30,000, which discourages the tourists from coming to the state, with road and rail network also not up to the mark.
“We wonder where is the Udaan scheme of the Central government, which was announced with much pomp and show and what benefit it has given to HP?” ask some other businessmen associated with the hotel industry in Himachal Pradesh.
The roads in the state are in bad shape after the disaster last year, with the state government not getting a penny from the Centre for relief and restoration works, over and above the routine funding, they pointed out.
It is pertinent to mention that the successive state governments in HP have also been raising the issue of cheaper air connectivity to Himachal Pradesh over the last decade, but to no avail.
The apple growers of Himachal Pradesh expect the Centre to raise the import duty on foreign apples and make a budget announcement in this regard, which gives stiff competition to the local apple.
“The apples from foreign countries like the US, Iran, and Afghanistan compete with Himachal Pradesh’s storage apples from March-June, before the season starts in July-August. And often the local apple growers are at a loss. The fresh apples sell anyway,” said Ravinder Makhaik from the apple belt of Kotgarh.
The apple economy in HP runs into Rs 5000 Crore annually and 1.5 lakh families are involved in apple cultivation.
The apple orchardists had incurred heavy losses last time due to excessive rains during harvesting season.
The state government has already opposed the Centre’s move to reduce import duty on US apples by 20% in September last, holding that this was against the interest of HP apple growers.
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