Patanjali food park to stay in UP as CM pitches in; state government to complete modalities by next week

The CM is believed to have talked to Yoga Guru Ramdev also explaining the situation and convincing him that all the issues would be sorted out soon.
UP CM Yogi Adityanath. (File | PTI)
UP CM Yogi Adityanath. (File | PTI)

LUCKNOW: A day after Patanjali Ayurveda Limited (PAL) MD Acharya Balkrishna threatened to pull out Rs 6000-crore mega food park project from Uttar Pradesh due to state government’s indifference and delay in completing formalities to facilitate transfer of land, CM Yogi Adityanath pitched in himself in a damage control exercise and talked to Balkrishna personally assuring him all help in setting up the project in Greater Noida.

The CM is believed to have talked to Yoga Guru Ramdev also explaining the situation and convincing him that all the issues would be sorted out soon. Moreover, the CM, on Wednesday, directed officials
to prepare all documents within a week and expedite the process for setting up project.

On the other, Bab Ramdev has also promised CM Yogi to set up the ambitious food park in UP only.

“We (Patanjali) trust the assurance given by Yogi Adityanath. CM spoke to Acharya Balkrishan and Baba Ramdev and assured cooperation. We respect the commitment given by Yogiji. We will not let the
important food park go out of UP,” said SK Tijarawala, spokesperson of Patanjali.

In fact, the MoU for the mega project to be set up in 455 acre land along Yamuna Expressway in Greater Noida was signed between PAL and UP government in Akhilesh Yadav’s regime in November, 2016.

As the project was to be set up by Patanjali Food & Herbal Park, a subsidiary of PAL, it was supposed to cater to the domestic and export markets providing employment to over 10,000 people benefitting
around 50,000 families.

Explaining the delay in land transfer, the state government clarified that the firm had urged the authorities concerned to sub-lease 91 acre land to Patanjali Food and Herbal Park of the total
455 acres allocated to PAL on Yamuna Expressway by UP Industrial Development Authority through an order dated November 2, 2016. The land then was allocated as per the conditions of state's Infrastructure and Industrial investment policy -2012.

Issuing a press release to clear the air over the project in the light of PAL’s grievances, the  state government claimed that PAL’s request for sub-leasing 91 acres cropped up on March 23, 2018,
after the Central government’s Food and Processing ministry gave its approval to Patanjali Food and Herbal Park Noida Private Limited in principle allowing it to set up the mega food park.

The state government further said that the land transfer proposal, earlier in force, had cabinet's approval but Patanjali's proposal to transfer the land from one company to other was in the process and to be approved by the cabinet which would be done in the next meeting.

Industrial Development Minister Satish Mahana claimed that all formalities would be completed soon and the state government was talking about incentives as well. “There were some technical issues
involved. We are bringing a proposal in this regard to the cabinet,” the minister said.

Notably, for the mega food parks, there is a provision of a subsidy of Rs 150 crore to the firm concerned, but the promoter should have a minimum 50 acres of land with it for setting up the food park
in the name of the company which is developing it.

In this case, Patanjali Group had 455 acre of land in Noida, but not in the name of Patanjali Foods and Herbal Park Pvt Limited, the subsidiary unit of the Patanjali group, which is promoting the food
park.

Ramdev wanted that the mega food park subsidy should be given in the name of the company which was allotted 455 acres of land while the industrial development department explained that the land had to be in the name of the company which was setting up the park.

"Therefore, 50 acre land out of 455 acres is being transferred in the name of Patanjali Foods and in the next cabinet it would be approved. The Patanjali group had applied for the transfer which would
be approved by the cabinet next week, said a senior official of the industrial development department.

He added that after the transfer of 50 acre land in the name of Patanjali Foods and Herbal Park, the project would take off.

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