Food park coming up at Amtala

The food processing industry in West Bengal is set to become the third largest sector in the state, with total investments worth Rs 1,500 crore, under execution or in pipeline, lined up for the sector, said Nirupam Sen, minister for industry and commerce, West Bengal, at the foundation laying ceremony of a food park at Amtala, a subdivision in the South 24 Parganas district, on Wednesday.

The food processing sector was preceded by small and medium enterprises and the petrochemical sector in terms of investments, he said.

About three food processing parks were under construction in the state, with three more in the pipeline, said M V Rao, managing director of the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC).

Apart from Amtala, the two other food parks were coming up in the Malda and Howrah districts.

The food processing park at Amtala is a joint venture between Kolkata-based real estate developers, Salarpuria Group and the Eden City Group, with WBIDC.

The initial investment in the food park, spread over 125 acre, would be close to Rs 150 crore, said Indrajit De, chairman and managing director of the Eden Group. Subsequently another Rs 150 crore would be invested in ancillary infrastructure and residences for the employees over the next two and half years, De added.

Nearly 85 acres in the park would be dedicated for food processing units.

Apart from the processing unit and infrastructure facilities like, cold storages and warehouses, the park will have a "Krishi Bazaar", which will act as a marketing platform for farmers in the region.

The park would accommodate nearly 50-80 food processing units, said De.