Pulp plant cost estimated at Rs 12 cr

Statesman News Service

MALDA, 29 MARCH: After completion of feasibility studies on proposed pulp-processing-cum-pulp packaging plant in Malda Food Park, the district food processing industries and horticulture (FPI&H) department has estimated Rs 12 crore as its project cost.

Yesterday, the departmental officials presented the feasibility the study report before officials from the district administration and the Central government, who came from Central Institute of Subtropical Horticulture (CISH) in Lucknow, and Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) in New Delhi.

According to the assistant director of the district FPI&H, Mr Rahul Chakraborty, Rs 8.5 crore has been estimated as cost of the plant and machinery for the proposed pulp processing cum pulp packaging plant . Nearly Rs. 3.5 crore would be spent for building construction.

“We have proposed the plan based on its feasibility study report submitted to the TIFAC. In the last week of April, another high-level meeting will be held here between the state officials of the FPI&H and TIFAC to finalise the matter and sign a memorandum between the state and Centre for this project”, said Mr Chakraborty.

It has been drafted that under PPP (Private Public Partnership) model that the project will run here. The state government will provide land and other basic infrastructures at Malda Food Park for setting up the plant. The private entrepreneurs will bear 10 percent of the cost. And the TIFAC, under the department of science and technology of the Central government, would bear 90 percent of the project cost.

A senior scientist of the TIFAC, Dr Debabrata Majumdar, also assured that his department would also bear the recurring expenditure of the project for three years.

According to the proposed project, the capacity of the plant would be 10 ton production per hour.

The plant would run here based on fruits production in Malda, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur, Jalpaiguri, Murshidabad and Nadia districts.The horticulture department has selected fruits like Mango, litchi, guava, pineapple, tomato and lime and lemon for this project.

According to officials of the horticulture department, only two percent of total production of fruits in the neighboring districts will be consumed here. (END)