By IANS,
Shimla : Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal Friday said the state was always against foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail.
In a letter written to Union Commerce Minister Anand Sharma, Dhumal said: “We are committed to protecting the interests of petty traders and entrepreneurs by not allowing implementation of FDI in retail in the state.”
Expressing surprise over Sharma’s statement in the Lok Sabha two days ago that BJP states Gujarat and Himachal and Akali Dal-ruled Punjab never opposed FDI in writing, the chief minister said the statement “is concocted and contrary to the facts”.
“Sharma has never communicated with us in this regard,” he said in a statement.
Dhumal said the BJP government had always been opposing the FDI in the country and same was the case in Himachal.
He criticised Sharma for not supporting the demand of the fruit-growing state to increase import duty on apples to protect the domestic industry.
The government Friday won the vote in the Rajya Sabha on FDI, two days after it sailed through the Lok Sabha. This paves the way for foreign equity in multi-brand retail in the country.