Nagpur: Crossing all hurdles, the MIHAN-based Patanjali Food Park of Yoga Guru Ramdev Baba has finally started commercial activity. In the first phase, the Patanjali unit is manufacturing flour used in making biscuits, according to a media report.
However, the move seems to be nothing but an eyewash just to save the ‘dented’ image of Maharashtra Government. Ramdev Baba had announced that Asia’s largest food park would be started in the MIHAN project. The issue of land for this project was embroiled in heated politics. To overcome this problem, the construction of the project was started. After this, the Patanjali administration made preparations to start a flour mill in the first phase to get rid of layoffs, labour problems etc.
Today’s Rate
Fri18 Oct. 2024
The proposed Patanjali Food Park of Yoga Guru Ramdev Baba had been in the limelight and grabbed headlines for one ‘dubious’ reason or another. Spread across 234 acres, the company was dubbed to be the world’s largest zone for the food industry. The land was taken over by Patanjali during Devendra Fadnavis’ regime as Chief Minister.
The project was asked to start by December 31, 2021. However, due to Patanjali’s failure to meet this deadline, the deadline was extended twice in a row. Even after that the project was not started. The Patanjali administration had decided to start the flour mill project in the month of July.
According to the media report, commercial production in the flour mill of Patanjali was started some days ago. The flour mill is currently working in one shift and soon will be functioning in three shifts. Patanjali officials shared pictures of wheat bags stacked at the unit here. They said the company would be starting full production of packaged wheat flour.
The Haridwar-headquartered multinational company had entered into a pact with Maharashtra Government on September 10, 2016, by launching a food park in Mihan and assuring over 10,000 jobs and engaging 50,000 farmers from the region. It was supposed to begin operation in 18 months.
Over three and half years down the line, the plant was yet to see the light of the day, although the group had installed some machinery after an ultimatum, as per reports. The group was granted multiple extensions from time to time, the last being on March 1. Apart from the 234 acres in the domestic tariff area (DTA), Patanjali has also taken up over 100 acres in the Mihan-SEZ. No construction work has been taken up at the site so far.
