Govt's 'misleading' figures to Parliament: Corruption free J&K apple procurement?

By A Representative
Publicised as a measure to ensure better economic development in the newly formed union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and corruption-free procurement, there appears to be little clarity at the highest level on the apples bought J&K growers under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) that the Central and State/UT level governments claimed to have implemented through the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED).
A senior Right to Information (RTI) activist Venkatesh Nayak of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative said, soon after the legislative changes downgrading J&K from a full-fledged State to a Union Territory (UT) came into effect, i.e. on November 1, 2019, he filed an RTI plea with the Department of Agriculture (DAC) seeking the information about the implementation of the apple MIS in J&K.
While the procurement target was fixed at 13,000 metric tonnes, the delayed reply received by Nayak from DAC on February 28, 2020 said, a total of 1,56,120.470 quintals (7,642 metric tonnes or MT) of apples were bought under the MIS during the 2019-20 season at a cost of Rs 69.55 crore.
It further said, a total of 1,054,169 boxes containing three grades of apples -- Delicious, American and Maharaji – were despatched during this season up to January 30, 2020 from five districts, namely, Anantnag, Srinagar, Sopore, Shopian and Kulgam.
Interestingly, in response to a question raised in the Lok Sabha on February 4, 2020, 24 days before the RTI reply was sent, the Government of India replied that it had purchased 15,769.38MT of apples at a cost of Rs 70.45 crore under the scheme!
Pointing towards the “huge discrepancy” in the figures tabled in Parliament and the reply given under RTI, Nayak said, interestingly, on November 12, 2019, the Government of India provided a figure of 7,940MT of apples were purchased under the MIS, though in February 2020, this came down to 7,642MT under RTI!
Yet another figure of the apple procurement data was given the Supreme Court of India in the Anuradha Bhasin case last year, under which it was claimed by the J&K government that NAFED had procured 8,960MT of apples during the season at a cost of Rs 38 crore under MIS.
“So, the Government of J&K claimed that NAFED had procured more apples than what Parliament was told in November 2019 and at just about 45% less cost than what I was informed in reply to my RTI application”, Nayak said in an email alert to Counterview.

Govt told Parliament it procured 15,769MT apples, but RTI reply says it was 7,642 MT, lower than last year's claim, 7,940MT

“The huge discrepancy in figures, including the cost of procurement, raises several questions about the credibility of claims being made before Parliament, the highest court of the land and under the RTI Act”, Nayak said, adding, “Two of my own contacts in J&K have revealed that many farmers had to watch their apple crop rot away because there were simply no vehicles to pick them up from orchards, thanks to the restrictions on vehicular movement imposed August 2019 onwards.”
“So”, said Nayak, “If the actual figure is in the range of 7,000-8,000 metric tonnes, the actual procurement has fallen way too short of the target of 13,000 metric tonnes set in September 2019, lending credibility to the claims of people in J&K that a large portion of their apple crop might have just rotted away this season.”
“If on the other hand, the figure of 15,769.38MT reported in the Lok Sabha this February is correct, DAC has provided a much lower and misleading figure under the RTI Act”, Nayak said, adding, in the process, what appears to have actually happened is, “the authorities have not only failed the growers in J&K but also the millions of under-nourished and hungry citizens, particularly mothers and children who could have been fed these fruits through the ICDS and mid-day-meal schemes at nominal procurement, transportation and handling cost.”

Comments

Academics urge Azim Premji University to drop FIR against Student Reading Circle

By A Representative A group of academics and civil society members has issued an open letter to the leadership of Azim Premji University expressing concern over the filing of a police complaint that led to an FIR against a student-run reading circle following a recent incident of violence on campus. The signatories state that they hold the university in high regard for its commitment to constitutional values, critical inquiry and ethical public engagement, and argue that it is precisely because of this reputation that the present development is troubling.

Was Netaji forced to alter face, die in obscurity in USSR in 1975? Was he so meek?

By Rajiv Shah This should sound almost hilarious. Not only did Subhas Chandra Bose not die in a plane crash in Taipei, nor was he the mysterious Gumnami Baba who reportedly passed away on 16 September 1985 in Ayodhya, but we are now told that he actually died in 1975—date unknown—“in oblivion” somewhere in the former Soviet Union. Which city? Moscow? No one seems to know.

UAPA action against Telangana activist: Criminalising legitimate democratic activity?

By A Representative The National Investigation Agency's Hyderabad branch has issued notices to more than ten individuals in Telangana in connection with FIR No. RC-04/2025. Those served include activists, former student leaders, civil rights advocates, poets, writers, retired schoolteachers, and local leaders associated with the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Indian National Congress.

Asbestos contamination in children’s products highlights global oversight gaps

By A Representative A commentary published by the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS) has drawn attention to the challenges governments face in responding effectively to global public-health risks. In an article written by Laurie Kazan-Allen and published on March 5, 2026, the author examines how the discovery of asbestos contamination in children’s play products has raised questions about regulatory oversight and international product safety. The article opens by reflecting on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that governments in several countries were slow to respond to early warning signs of the crisis. Referring to the experience of the United Kingdom, the author writes that delays in implementing protective measures contributed to “232,112 recorded deaths and over a million people suffering from long Covid.” The commentary uses this example to illustrate what it describes as the dangers of underestimating emerging threats. Attention then turns...

Aligning too closely with U.S., allies, India’s silence on IRIS Dena raises troubling questions

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The reported sinking of the Iranian ship IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka raises troubling questions about international norms and the credibility of the so-called rule-based order. If indeed the vessel was attacked by the American Navy while returning from a joint exercise in Visakhapatnam, it would represent a serious breach of trust and a violation of the principles that govern such cooperative engagements. Warships participating in these exercises are generally not armed for combat; they are meant to symbolize solidarity and friendship. The incident, therefore, is not only shocking but also deeply ironic.

The kitchen as prison: A feminist elegy for domestic slavery

By Garima Srivastava* Kumar Ambuj stands as one of the most incisive voices in contemporary Hindi poetry. His work, stripped of ornamentation, speaks directly to the lived realities of India’s marginalized—women, the rural poor, and those crushed under invisible forms of violence. His celebrated poem “Women Who Cook” (Khānā Banātī Striyāṃ) is not merely about food preparation; it is a searing indictment of patriarchal domestic structures that reduce women’s existence to endless, unpaid labour.

India’s foreign policy at crossroads: Cost of silence in the face of aggression

By Venkatesh Narayanan, Sandeep Pandey The widely anticipated yet unprovoked attack on Iran on March 1 by the United States and Israel has drawn sharp criticism from several quarters around the world. Reports indicate that the strikes have resulted in significant civilian casualties, including 165 elementary school girls, 20 female volleyball players, and many other civilians.

India’s green energy push faces talent crunch amidst record growth at 16% CAGR

By Jag Jivan* A new study by a top consulting firm has found that India’s cleantech sector is entering a decisive growth phase, with strong policy backing, record capacity additions and surging investor interest, but facing mounting pressure on talent supply and rising compensation costs .

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Rajiv Shah Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Search This Blog