Government to let Patanjali transfer project land

LUCKNOW: Weighed down by the pressure of Patanjali Group’s threat of shifting its food park out of the state hitting UP’s investor-friendly image, the state government has almost decided to allow Patanjali Ayurveda Pvt Ltd to transfer as much land as it wants to its subsidiary company in Greater Noida. Sources said that the government has taken an in-principle decision on the matter and a proposal to this effect is likely to be presented in the cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
The permission had earlier been withheld as the infrastructure and industrial development policy of 2012, under which 455 acre land had been allocated to Patanjali along the Yamuna Expressway in 2016, did not allow for land to be subleased.
Patanjali wanted to transfer 91 acres of this land to its subsidiary, Patanjali Food and Herbal Park Noida Pvt Ltd, for setting up a mega food park. On June 5, Patanjali had threatened to pull out the project from Uttar Pradesh, blaming the state government’s ‘indifferent attitude’ for its decision. “The government has decided to allow Patanjali to transfer as much land as it likes to its subsidiary for the food park. Since this food park was awarded by Centre, it is up to them to allow any further concessions to the group. UP’s job is to give Patanjali a no-objection certificate and the proposal will be put up before the cabinet on Tuesday,” said sources.
A day after the group had threatened to cancel the project, BJP president Amit Shah met Ramdev under the party’s ‘Sampark for Samarthan’ campaign and chief minister Yogi Adityanath had called up Ramdev and Patanjali Group CEO Acharya Balakrishna personally to assure them of all possible help and co-operation.
Along with its request for transfer of land to its subsidiary company, Patanjali had also asked for a government subsidy of Rs 150 crore for setting up the food park even though the subsidiary company had no land in its name. The Group’s spokesperson S K Tijarawala had told TOI that the food park project would be executed by the same set of people since both companies had the same ownership and hence the government should not object to land transfer.
The centre, meanwhile, had threatened to cancel the project if Patanjali was unable to secure a no-objection certificate from UP government and extended its deadline to June 30, 2018 after the state government pleaded on Patanjali’s behalf.