BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has asked the Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) to create infrastructure facility for the proposed seafood park at Deras on the outskirts of the city without waiting for the approval of the Centre.
The State’s proposal to set up a seafood park at Deras in Khurda district under the Mega Food Park Scheme has been found eligible by the Ministry of Food Processing and a formal approval is expected from the Ministry, sources in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Department said.
The seafood park was planned on an area of 100 acres at an estimated cost of `116.43 crore inclusive of the land cost which was calculated at the rate of ` 5 lakh per acre. As per the current estimate, the cost of the land after development is coming to `70 lakh per acre.
The proposed park will consist of seafood processing units along with common facilities like water treatment plant (WTP), effluent treatment plant (ETP), cold storage, preprocessing centre, power sub-station, block ice factory, dormitory for working staff, administrative building, skill development and training centre, convenient store, packing unit, polythene unit and research and development centre.
However, the Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI) is objecting to the high cost of land. The association has requested the State Government to reconsider the land cost as it will be a disincentive to small and medium exporters of seafood.
The progress of the proposed seafood park was reviewed at a high level meeting chaired by Chief Secretary GC Pati here last week.
President of SEAI G Mohanty requested IDCO to rework on the land cost so that the small and medium exporters will not be financially burdened. The Chief Secretary advised IDCO to revise the land cost after taking into account the exclusion of chargeable common facilities which are to be operated as separate profit centres.
IDCO was further asked to acquire additional 50 acres of Government land available near the proposed park site and acquire private land in exchange of Government land for construction of approach road.
The meeting further decided to form a coordination committee under the chairmanship of IDCO CMD for monitoring of the project implementation.
Seafood exporters were advised to submit their project reports to the District Industries Centre (DIC) for single window clearance.