VISAKHAPATNAM: The State Government has given the green signal for establishing a jute park in north Andhra where quite a few jute mills are concentrated.

This was in response to a representation made by president of the Federation of Andhra Pradesh Industries (FAPI) and Managing Director of Swarnandhra Jute Mills in Pydibheemavaram in Srikakulam district, B.V. Rama Rao, to the Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.

Announcing this at a media conference here on Monday, the FAPI president said that he had met the Chief Minister on Friday and the latter immediately acceded to the request and advised the Srikakulam District Collector to identify the land which would be on an extent of 150 acres between Srikakulam and Visakhapatnam.

Loans

"There are 26 jute mills in the State, with 13 of them, all twine mills, located in Srikakulam. Four composite mills are in Vizianagaram, three in Eluru, and one each in Visakhapatnam and Guntur. As many as 10 big, 20 medium and 60 small jute mills can be set up in the Jute Park," Mr. Rama Rao said. The entire coastal Andhra region from Srikakulam to Nellore depended on agriculture and it was unfortunate that agro-based industries were not encouraged hitherto. He appealed to the nationalised banks to provide loans for entrepreneurs willing to set up their jute industrial units in the area.

He also said that he would meet the US President George Bush next month when he would go along with Dr. Reddy to the US next month. The idea was that in the wake of ban on plastic, there is an excellent marketing potential to jute and this he would like to sell abroad, he explained.

He also said that he had met the Governor Mr. Rameshwar Thakur who had promised to attend the 15th anniversary of FAPI to be held on June 11 in Hyderabad.

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