The Hindu : New Delhi News : Plan to set up agro, food parks in Punjab, Haryana

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 26, 2006

New Delhi

New Delhi

Plan to set up agro, food parks in Punjab, Haryana

Special Correspondent

Research institute, technology incubation centre planned

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Union Ministry for Science and Technology has proposed to set up an agriculture and food technology park in Punjab and a food technology park in Haryana in collaboration with the State Governments and the private sector.

The parks would each consist of a research institute, a technology incubation centre to enable faster conversion of new research findings into commercial products and a business centre.

The project has been taken up as part of an exercise to promote agro and food processing industries in north India. "Currently, there is only one food technology institute in the entire country. It is located in Mysore and is not able to cater to the needs of north India fully. The new parks will fill the gap," said a senior official of the Science and Technology Ministry. The Secretary of the Department of Biotechnology, M.K. Bhan, will visit Canada later this week to explore the possibility of tie-up with institutions there, which have been operating such parks. "Canadians have a rich experience in running agro and food technology parks. We would like to see whether they will be interested in participating in our project''.

The official said that there was also a move to appoint a consultant to prepare a business plan for the project. The two parks are estimated to cost Rs. 200 crores to Rs. 250 crores each. The consultant will, among other things, be asked to identify the right location for the parks and also the right partners from the private sector for the project.

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