By IANS,
Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh government has identified the site for setting up a spice park, sanctioned by the central government, Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said Saturday.
“The state has identified an alternate piece of land for setting up a spice park in Nadaun,” the chief minister said at a public meeting in Nadaun subdivision of Hamirpur, Dhumal’s home district.
He said the process to start development work of the site was being expedited.
Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma, during his visit to Shimla in May 2010, had announced the setting up of the spice park to benefit the local growers.
“Under ASIDE (Assistance to States for Developing Export Infrastructure and Allied Activities) scheme, a spice park would be set up in Nadaun on 10 hectares with an investment of Rs.27 crore. This would be the first such park in north India,” Sharma said.
He said the spice park would buy the species from local areas. It would promote contract farming. Special purpose funds for replanting and rejuvenation of some species would be provided to the growers to improve the quality of the spices produced by them.
But during another visit here in May this year, Sharma had accused the state BJP government of being incompetent in utilising funds received under centrally-funded schemes.
He had expressed surprise that even the spice park sanctioned to the state two years ago had failed to take off.