A major controversy has erupted over the Horticulture Department’s decision to reassign sapling distribution to UK Hitech Nursery, which was implicated in the 2023 fruit sapling procurement scam and is under a CBI FIR. Following backlash, the department has now revoked the order.
Deepak Kargeti, Secretary of the Farmers’ Agriculture, Horticulture, and Entrepreneurs Organization, expressed strong displeasure and urged Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to take strict action. The nursery was among those selected for winter sapling distribution, sparking outrage given its past involvement in the scam.
UK Hitech Nursery was allegedly involved in fraudulent procurement, leading to the suspension of then Horticulture Director Dr. H.S. Baveja. Despite this, the department still allotted the nursery the contract again. However, after public outcry and scrutiny, the order was rescinded.
