Jaipur: Spice board to cancel land allotment

JAIPUR: The spice board under the commerce and industries ministry has decided to cancel the allotment of land in the two spice parks in the state where the investors have failed to set up their units within the stipulated time. It also wants the state industries department to take over the assets and management in order to make these parks operational.
The spice board had set up seven parks in the country including two in Rajasthan, one each at Jodhpur and Kota.Out of the 28 plots spread over 60 acre in the Jodhpur park, 25 had been allotted, but only four units have come up. In Kota, where the park occupies 30 acre land with 17 industrial plots, not a single unit has been set up even though 11 plots were allotted to entrepreneurs.
In a meeting on Monday, industries commissioner K K Pathak sought views of the department over taking over the assets and management. Speaking to TOI, Pathak said that the state government will require clarity as to the status the land allotment, common facilities and other aspects of the parks. “Rajasthan is rich in spice production but farmers can only benefit if the processing plants are set up within the mandated timeframe which has not happened. But we need to understand the terms and conditions of the land lease agreements that the spice board has entered into with the allottees, and the status on the common facilities. We have to be given these details by the spice board so that we can put in place a strategy to revive these park,” Pathak said.
The Jodhpur park was developed in 2013. The park in Kota, which was set up in 2017, was only formally inaugurated in February this year even tough land allotments had been made earlier. Both these parks are owned by the spice board. “Many had taken up land for a real estate play. This is the main reason why the plots remain vacant,” said a source who attended the meeting.
The source said there is no clarity as to land lease agreements for plots in Kota. “Also, we need to have a full picture of the contract signed between the spice board and the private party for putting up common facilities like drains, roads and other infrastructure,” he said.