Patanjali is also investing in mega food park projects including in Nagpur (Maharashtra) and Tezpur (Assam). (Express Photo)
A day after Patanjali Ayurved Ltd. announced that it had decided to shift its Mega Food Park project proposed in Greater Noida, the company Wednesday said it was reviewing the decision. “We are reviewing our decision in the light of assurances given by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath,” said Patanjali spokesperson S K Tijarawala, according to a PTI report.
On Tuesday, Patanjali Ayurved MD Acharya Balkrishna had tweeted, “Aaj Greater Noida mein Kendra Sarkar se swikrit Mega food park ko nirasta karne ki suchna mili. Shri Ram vah Krishna ki Pavitra bhumi mein kisanon ke jeevan mein samridhi lane ka sankalpa prantiya sarkar ki udaseenta ke chalte adhura reh gaya. Patanjali ne project ko anyantra shift karne ka nirnay liya (Today we got information regarding cancellation of the Mega Food Park Project approved by the Government of India. In the land of Ram and Krishna, the pledge to bring prosperity to the lives of farmers was left incomplete due to the apathy of the state government. Patanjali has decided to shift the project).” Balkrishna had previously claimed that the project would have provided employment to thousands of people.
A senior state government official said that the project had not been cancelled, adding that Adityanath had spoken to Balkrishna. “They have been allotted land and the project is to be commenced. The CM has directed to expedite the process and also directed officers for the same,” PTI quoted Principal Secretary (Information) Awanish Awasthi as saying.
The state government said the issue is regarding the sub-lease of allotted land to a subsidiary firm. “It requires changes in earlier conditions for giving the land. Thus on both technical and policy-related points, departmental consultation is going on. The original allotment was done following a Cabinet decision, hence the Cabinet will take a decision on this issue as well,” informed a senior government official.
The government also clarified that under provisions of the Uttar Pradesh Infrastructure and Industrial Investment Policy – 2012, 455 acres were allotted (during the Akhilesh Yadav regime) to Patanjali Ayurved Ltd, Haridwar, in November 2016, on the basis of a Cabinet decision. Of the 455 acres, the company was given permission to sub-lease 20 per cent of the land (91 acres) seven years from the time of allotment.
Later, Patanjali Food and Herbal Park Noida Pvt Ltd, a Special Purpose Vehicle of Patanjali Ayurved Ltd, was given in-principal approval by Centre to establish a Mega Food Park, the government official said. Following this approval, Patanjali Ayurved Ltd. had on March 23 this year demanded that of the allotted 455 acres, 86 acres be transferred to Patanjali Food and Herbal Park Noida Pvt Ltd with conditions.
A government spokesperson said that the company had also requested to consider the investment done by Patanjali Food and Herbal Park Noida Pvt. Ltd. under the investment policy of 2012 and provide concessions as per the state government order dated November 2, 2016.