Srinagar, Sep 12(KNS): Senior Congress leader and CWC member Tariq Hameed Karra came down heavily on BJP for relaxing import duty on American apples.

In a statement issued here the veteran Congress leader said, "Apple farmers like any other sector have suffered a lot under the indifferent government of BJP. The central government has remained anti-small business, anti-farmers and works totally in the interest of crony capitalists by ignoring the common populace of Jammu and Kashmir."

According to Karra, a former cabinet finance minister in J&K, the import of Apple from foreign countries will further deteriorate the economical situation of the local apple growers of Jammu and Kashmir. Tariq Hameed Karra said that they will oppose such unjust and exploitative policies of the government tooth and nail while demanding a 100? import duty on foreign fruit and promotion of local produce.

Horticulture roughly creates a revenue of around Rs 10,000 crore in Kashmir employing around 3.5 million people. Jammu and Kashmir is the highest producer of apples in India with a production of around 20 lac metric tonnes annually.(KNS).