Horticulture Minister Narinder Bragta today met Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in New Delhi and made a fervent plea for an early release of the Central share in order to clear arrears of the payments to the growers. Under the marketing intervention scheme, the Centre pays 50 per cent of the amount to the state for making the payments.

Bragta, in his meeting also discussed market problems for the apple and citrus fruits and demanded Centre's help in the matter. The minister later also met Ram Nayak, Union Railway Minister, and urged him to expedite the proposal to provide parking places at Shimla railway godown and at other vacant places of the railways.