Rs.200 crore projects sanctioned: Himachal minister

New Delhi, Jan 12: The union commerce and industry ministry will provide central assistance of Rs.200 crore for projects in Himachal Pradesh, state Industries Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said on Saturday.

He said two state-of-the-art industrial township projects were approved under the modified industrial infrastructure upgradation scheme, and would be set up in Kandrori in Kangra district and Pandoga in Una district at an estimated cost of Rs.218 crore.

"The central assistance of Rs.100 crore for the two projects will be released in this fiscal," Agnihotri told reporters after meeting union Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma here.

He said the commerce ministry also approved industrial infrastructure projects amounting to Rs.72.17 crore under ASIDE scheme for setting up projects, including an export warehouse and a composite pharma testing laboratory in the industrial hub of Baddi.

The ministry, he said, also approved the setting up of 10,000 metric tonnes capacity apple juice concentrate plant by Himachal Pradesh Horticultural Produce Marketing and Processing Corporation (HPMC) in Gumma in Shimla district at an estimated cost of Rs.15 crore.

Even the HPMC’s existing apple juice concentrate plant at Parwanoo would be expanded with a cost of Rs.12 crore.

Considering the potential of setting up wineries in the state, Agnihotri said it has been decided that the commerce ministry would also assist the state in exploring possibilities of setting up wineries and wine manufacturing units in Hamirpur, Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti districts.

He said the central government has also agreed to finance Rs.10 crore for fruit and vegetable processing plant at Nagrota-Bagwan in Kangra district.

The commerce ministry has also agreed to release Rs.25 crore for meeting out pending liabilities under the central investment subsidy and Rs.36.83 crore under the central transport subsidy, the minister added.

Agnihotri said the regional centre of Indian Institute of Foreign Trade would start working in the state from April this year.