TN firm plans growth centre in Uttaranchal

Mahendra Acres, a Chennai-based company, will develop the growth centre project in the Kotdwar area of Pauri Garhwal. The centre has been approved by the Union ministries of commerce and industry.

The project would be set up on 100 acres of land, of which 70 acres would be acquired from farmers and 30 acres would be provided by the Uttaranchal government, top government officials said.

The total project cost had been estimated at Rs 18 crore, they said, adding the government was hoping to rope in non-polluting units from sectors like electronics, pharmaceuticals, textiles and IT.

In addition to this, ancillary companies of Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL), a central government public sector company, would also be urged to set up units at the centre.

The entire area of 100 acres is spread over four villages""Kishandevpur, Jaidevpur, Lokmanipur, and Shrirampur--covering 166 families, which would get employment.

"This is a backward region, which we hope to develop," a top industry official told Business Standard.

The official said the government had purchased land worth Rs 5.02 crore. Existing road connectivity from Kotdwar to Sagaddi is through a 40-feet-wide state highway, which would be constructed by the public works department.

The Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Park (STEP) at IIT Roorkee has done an environment impact analysis and made an environment management plan for the growth centre and submitted a report to the state government.