Shimla, July 18 -- Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu while chairing a meeting of the horticulture department on Friday said the state government has cleared payments through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to apple growers for produce procured under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) during the year 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. He said that payments had already been made to growers who supplied up to 30 bags of apples under the MIS and the process of releasing payments to growers who supplied 100 bags or more was underway. He informed that the state government has released Rs.45 crore to clear the pending liabilities. Reviewing the preparations for apple procurement under the MIS during the current season, the CM launched the Horticulture Market Intervention Scheme website and mobile application. The digital platform would facilitate end-to-end recording of the procurement process, from apple purchase to processing, ensuring greater transparency and efficiency. Apple growers would be required to register on the portal by providing details such as Aadhaar number, land records and bank account information. They would also be able to book time slots for selling their produce, helping reduce waiting time and improving convenience. The growers will receive SMS notifications on their mobile phones regarding procurement and payment status, ensuring complete transparency. In a bid to bolster healthcare services and medical education the Himachal government has proposed more than doubling the postgraduate (PG) medical seats in government colleges from 277 to 597. This marks the first time the state has undertaken such a major expansion of PG seats in a single phase. The initiative aims to provide more opportunities for local medical aspirants while addressing the acute shortage of specialist doctors across the state's health infrastructure. Under the proposal, Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) in Shimla will see its seats rise from 139 to 230, while Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College in Tanda will scale up from 99 to 156. Other regional institutions will also see significant increases, with seats at Mandi rising from 24 to 79, Hamirpur jumping from 8 to 65, Nahan growing from 3 to 35, and Chamba expanding from 4 to 32. To support this influx of students, the government has created 218 posts for senior residents and tutor specialists over the past three years. The allocation includes 63 posts at Hamirpur, 54 at Tanda, 36 at Mandi, 32 at Chamba, 31 at Nahan, and two at the Atal Institute of Medical Super Speciality in Chamiyana. Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said senior residents form the backbone of tertiary healthcare institutions, playing an indispensable role in patient care, research, and clinical training. He added that the government envisions developing Himachal Pradesh into a medical education hub through sustained investment in infrastructure and human resources....