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BJP Alleges Corruption in APMC Shop Allocations in Himachal; Congress Counters With HPMC Land Deal Charges
The opposition BJP on Wednesday staged a walkout from the Himachal Pradesh Assembly, alleging irregularities in the allocation of shops and Controlled Atmosphere (CA) stores to farmers at three Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) centers, in violation of the 2021 policy.
Shimla, Updated At : 16:14 PM Aug 27, 2025 IST
Raising the issue during Question Hour, Naina Devi MLA Randhir Sharma claimed that the APMC had flouted norms while allotting 70 shops at Parala, Shilaroo, and Totu.
“The inquiry was nothing more than a formality—the matter was brushed aside and the allotments were never cancelled. Applications were only retained from those who were pre-decided to get the shops, while the rest were rejected. A total of 133 applications had been received for the 70 shops,” Sharma said.
Replying to the charges, Agriculture Minister Chander Kumar said that applications were invited for 34 shops at Parala, 28 at Shilaroo, and eight at Totu, and that allotments were made strictly as per eligibility criteria.
“After a thorough probe, no irregularities were found. The opposition is making vague allegations without evidence or specific examples, merely to grab headlines,” he said.
Despite repeated assurances from the Minister that any concrete cases brought forward would be investigated, the dissatisfied opposition raised slogans and staged a walkout.
Kumar further clarified that the allocation pattern reserved 25% of shops for farmers, 50% for commission agents, 10% for OBCs, and 15% for SCs, STs, and OBCs combined.
Chopal MLA Balbir Verma, however, pointed out that shops which were earlier rented at ₹50,000–60,000 a decade ago were now being given out for just ₹5,000–6,000, and demanded a vigilance inquiry, alleging that genuine beneficiaries were being overlooked.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshvardhan Chauhan condemned the BJP’s walkout, stressing that the shops were allotted above the fixed base price of ₹4,500.
“If someone does not meet the eligibility criteria, how can shops be given to them? You cannot keep making sweeping allegations of irregularities without citing specific cases,” Chauhan said.
Hitting back at the BJP, Chauhan reminded the House that during its rule, HPMC land in Chennai was sold at throwaway prices and a ₹3-crore cardboard factory in Gumma was disposed of for just ₹90 lakh.
