By IANS,
Kochi : The Spices Board of India will directly acquire land for setting up a spice park in Kerala as the state government had failed to take any steps in this regard, Union Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh said Thursday.
The minister was addressing a function organised to present awards to spice farmers and exporters at Kochi.
The memorandum of understanding to set up the spice park, a value addition venture, in Idukki district was signed by the Spices Board of India and Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Kinfra) in February 2007.
“Given the fact nothing much has happened in the last 15 months I have now come to the conclusion that the Spices Board will acquire the land and set up the spices park. Why should we wait for the state government?” the minister said.
The minister said that in all the states except Kerala, where spices park were proposed, the work has already started.
The board has identified the land to set up the park. The work on the project will begin in September, he added.