Delhi-firm proposes to set up food park in Madhya Pradesh

New Delhi-based Bikanervala Foods Pvt Ltd, the manufacturer and marketer of the Bikanervala and Bikano branded sweets and snacks, is expanding in Madhya Pradesh.

The company has proposed to set up a food park in the western part of Madhya Pradesh near Indore on Khandwa road.

The company has reportedly demanded 1000 hectares of wasteland, power back up, exemptions from stamp duty, mandi tax and relaxation in labour laws pertaining to employment and retrenchment.

The Project Implementation Board has considered some of the demands of the company and has decided to extend help for the project with an unknown size of investment.

"The board will make wasteland available on condition of availability of land if the company applies for it. The company has yet to apply for power back up to the power distribution company operational in that area," said a government source adding, "the Board has rejected the demand of exemptions from stamp duty on purchase of land for food park and industrial units which are proposed to be set up in the area."

The company has also been given 'in-principle' approval for setting up a pump house of 10 lakh litre per day water lifting facility from Narmada river provided the company submits its application appropriately to the water resource department.

The board has also decided to offer mandi tax concessions, permission to set up inland custom clearance depot in the food park.

"The PCIB has also agreed on offering flexibility in labour-related rules and regulations for retrenchment and employment to the company for its units in the food park," said the source.

The company has also planned to set up a laboratory and has demanded cooperation from the state government to get a national level recognition for it.

Madhya Pradesh already has six food parks on different locations with hardly any investor due to poor infrastructure and bureaucratic problems. The company officials could not be contacted.