Shimla, Feb. 19 -- In the last three years, 379 orchardists in Himachal were defrauded of Rs.8.05 crore by the commission agents and loaders who fled without making payment of their produce. The information was shared by the agriculture minister Chander Kumar on Wednesday in the assembly during question hour. He was responding to a question from Theog MLA Kuldeep Singh Rathore. Out of the Rs.8.05 crore, payment of Rs.1.93 crore was made to the orchardists, while Rs.6.12 crore is still pending, he further informed. Cases of such frauds have been filed with the agricultural produce marketing committee (APMC). The highest number of complaints--191--have been received from Solan district with orchardists not receiving Rs.3.37 crore by transporters, said Kumar, further adding that 12 complaints have been resolved in Solan so far, and horticulturists have been paid Rs.98.34 lakh. Action is underway in other cases. Challans have been filed in court against 16 defaulting commission agents and loaders. Meanwhile, Shimla APMC has received 144 complaints. Loaders were accused of embezzling Rs.4.24 crore worth of payments from orchardists. In his response, the agriculture minister said that payments totaling Rs.78.79 lakh have been made to orchardists in 35 cases, adding that payment of Rs.3.44 crore are still pending. Speaking to the media, Rathore said these are the registered cases. In many cases, complains are not filed. He said that the functioning of the APMC needs improvement. Deputy chief minister Mukesh Agnihotri on Wednesday informed the House that a sum of Rs.37.58 crore had been spent on the construction of 19 rest houses in Dharampur and Seraj Assembly segments of Mandi district from the Jal jeevan mission (JMM) during the previous BJP regime despite there being no mandate for it. Replying to a question of Congress MLA from Dharampur assembly constituency, Chander Shekher, Agnihotri said that JJM funds were not used to provide water to the people but to build 19 rest houses in Dharampur and Seraj Assembly segments. "Twelve rest houses, worth Rs.26.11 crore were made in Dharampur assembly constituency and seven in Seraj for Rs.11.47 crore in Mandi district from the JJM despite there being no provision for it in the project," he informed. He said the Centre had said that this amount spent on rest houses would have to be borne by the state government. "Work on two rest houses is still incomplete while Rs.1.42 crore is being spent by the government on maintenance and staff of these 19 rest houses in Dharampur and Seraj alone. Now no rest house can be made anywhere in the state without the Cabinet's approval," he informed the House. Agnihotri further informed that Rs.1,227 crore, out of the total amount of Rs.6,395 crore, approved for Himachal under the JJM by the Centre, was still pending....