Nagpur: The deal is final. Patanjali today deposited an IDBI cheque to MADC, Mumbai for acquiring 252 acres land outside the SEZ area for making a Food Park. Bhoomipoojan for the park is supposed to be held on 10th September. The amount paid is Rs. 64.38 crores at a – highly subsidized – rate of Rs. 25.50 lakhs per acre.
Interesting point to note is that some detractors are claiming that the market price for this parcel of land could have been as high as Rs. 920/ crores and Ramdev Baba has been ‘gifted’ with a generous discount as political quid pro quo. Ramdev Baba had supported Modi and BJP a 100% in the 2014 general elections.
Tenders were floated repeatedly to attract other investors but each time there was no taker but Patanjali Ayurvedic Pvt. Ltd. It is alleged that that the format and conditions of the tender were such that only this company was fitting into it.
In hindsight, the coming of this Food park seems pre planned. Last year, Patanjali came up with their biggest mega store of the country in Dharampteth in Nagpur. On the Kalmeshwar road they have built a huge stocks’ and distribution warehouse. So the preparations for Nagpur seem to have been in full swing ever since BJP came to power in the state.
