The Centre’s decision to insist on employment visas for Chinese workers in India has upset the government of Himachal Pradesh where, in the Theog-Rohru apple cultivation belt, Chinese workers and engineers have been made to stop work on a road project, key to the shelf life of the state’s famed produce.

China-based Longjian Road and Bridge Company Limited had been awarded a contract by the Himachal Pradesh government to construct an 80-km road.

“Apple is a perishable product, so time for transport is critical. The existing state highway is narrow, full of potholes and prone to long traffic snarls. Sometimes it takes as long as 10-12 hours to cover a distance of 100 km. This particular belt contributes to 40 per cent of total apple cultivation in the state. And every year, crop worth Rs 1200 crore is wasted due to delay in transportation. So everyone was happy to see work in progress on this new road,” said Lekhraj Thakur, president of the Himachal Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association.

But this joy was shortlived. Work on the project was stalled in the last week of September. A letter to all state Home Secretaries on August 10 stated that foreigners who are coming to India for executing projects/contracts cannot continue to work on business visas beyond September 30 and would need employment visas. Enumerating provisions of the Visa Manual, the letter also stated that “requests for employment visas for jobs for which a large number of qualified Indians are available should not be considered and under no circumstance should employment visa be granted for routine or ordinary jobs.”

... contd.