VANKAYALAPADU: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has said Andhra Pradesh is in the forefront in the Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) initiative for the last three years. The commissioning of the spices processing unit in two years’ time reflected the commitment of the YSRC government to fasten the industrial growth of the state, he said.
The Chief Minister was inaugurating the global spices processing facility set up by the ITC Institute at Spice Park in Vankayalapadu in Edlapadu Mandal of Palnadu district on Friday. Unveiling the plaque of the `200 crore plant, he called it a wonderful moment. “This would become the largest spices processing unit in Asia when its second phase is completed in the next 15 months,” the chief minister said.
Jagan Mohad Reddy started his speech in English and switched to Telugu while explaining the importance of the plant and of the government plans to set up more processing units.
He said the government wanted to establish food processing units in all 26 districts at an estimated cost of Rs 3,450 crore. The foundation stones for the construction of 10 such units would be laid in the next two months, with a fund of Rs 1,250 crore in the first phase.
When all the 26 units are completed, it would be a big boon to the farming community and these units would provide employment to 33,000 persons, he said.
The Chief Minister said the global spices processing unit with a capacity of 20,000 metric tonnes would provide the facilities of cleaning, grading, grinding, steam sterilisation, destemming and packing of 15 varieties of spices including chilli. The plant would provide employment to 1,500 persons, directly and indirectly, and benefit over 14,000 farmers, he said.
Promising full support to ITC, Jagan Mohan Reddy assured company chairman Sanjeev Puri that the state government is just a phone call away in swiftly attending to its problems. He explained the government’s launch of 10, 668 Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBKs) across the state that has brought “revolutionary changes” in the agriculture sector.
Medical and health minister Vidadala Rajani said the state is aiming to be a top destination for the industrialists.
In his welcome speech, Sanjeev Puri said he was happy to partner with the state government in its efforts to empower women and the farming community. He promised full support to the state government in its efforts to bring about socio-economic transformation in the state.
"In line with a commitment to strengthen our footprint across the three sectors of the state’s economy — agriculture, manufacturing and services — we have invested in setting up a world-class export-oriented spices facility in Palnadu. It will offer the finest quality spices to the world, conforming to global food safety export norms, while anchoring local agri-value chains. ITC’s manufacturing footprint in Andhra Pradesh has been strengthened over the years with over 18 units, including its own facilities and those where the company has promoted local entrepreneurship,” Puri said.
