Karnataka to set up food park in Bijapur

Karnataka government has proposed setting up a food park at Ittangihala village in Bijapur through state-owned Food Karnataka Limited, Large and Medium industries minister Murugesh R Nirani said today. 

It is proposed to establish citrus, banana, pomegranate, grape (for wine manufacturing), sambhar-based and other processing industries in this food park, he said in a written reply in the Legislative Assembly.

Selection of private entrepreneurs for establishing this park is under progress. The project cost is estimated to be Rs23.84 crore. It is expected to start functioning in the next 30 months. The State government has decided to extend viability gap funding facility, the minister said. 

Nirani also said that the State government has decided to drop the engineering sector special economic zone in Shimoga as no company came forward to set up project there.

The entire extent of 250 acres earlier proposed for SEZ has been allotted to Bangalore-based Shahi Export Pvt Ltd for setting up of facilities for weaving, textile and ready-made garments with an investment of Rs 533.19 crore.

Nirani said 126 projects (with investment of more than Rs 50 crore) which envisaged an investment of Rs 2,95,504 crore, employment potential for 5.95 lakh people and requiring 62,932 acres, have been approved in the last two years.

"The State government is proposing to enter into MoU with the companies for facilitating their investments", he said. "As of now, the State is facilitating investments and assisting entrepreneurs to set up their projects through single window approval mechanism".