Nagpur: Yes – that is right. We have heard from the grapevine that Patanjali products will be sold at unimaginable discounts – to the tune of 60% to 90% for Nagpur consumers.
Why so??
Well, haven’t you heard the Hindi ‘kahawat’ – ek haath le, doosre haath de? (Take with one hand, give with the other)
When our very generous Union Minister has already declared that 347 acres of Mihan land will be given to Patanjali and when sources confirm without a shred of doubt that Ramdev Baba insists he will not pay more than Rs. 10/ lakh per acre for this largesse, he MUST have been assured that his demand will be met; right?
And what is the market price of this land if you or me, or another local Ayurveda company like Vicco or Baidyanath wants it ?
Rs. 60/ lakhs per acre within SEZ ( given only when you meet their export conditions) and Rs. one crore outside.
If Patanjali gets this at Rs. 10 lakhs per acre, it means 83% and 90% discount respectively.
Now if Patanjali is going to get this discount in the land it ought to give discount in its products to Nagpurians, right? Afterall, you are being benefited in crores right here in Mihan. God knows what discounts you are going to get in Katol and Amraoti? May be you should offer discount on your products to all of Vidarbha!
This is the news one got to read in all papers of Nagpur recently –
Yoga guru Ramdev Baba’s Patanjali Yogpeeth has decided to set up four units in Vidarbha. These units will be set up in Mihan, Amravati, Katol and Gadchiroli.
Addressing a press conference on Friday, Union minister for road transport, highways and shipping Nitin Gadkari said that Maharashtra government has decided to provide 347 acre land in Mihan to Patanjali for setting up a food processing unit. “Some 108 acre of this land will be in the special economic zone (SEZ) and the remaining 239 acre outside it. The unit will generate employment for over 10,000 locals,” he said.
“Also, 200 acre land in Katol MIDC will be given to Patanjali for an orange processing unit. The land will be handed over within a month and the government will also provide the required infrastructure there. Land will be provided in Amravati too for a food park,” Gadkari added.
If true, great news. Glad we are being so generous to deserving Godmen who have taught Yoga to the entire country. They ought to be rewarded – whether their multi-crore turnover company requires it or not. ( Google search tells us that Patanjali is the fastest growing fast-moving consumer company in India. It is valued at Rs.13000 crore(US$1.9 billion) and some predict revenues of Rs. 5000 crore (US$740 million) for the fiscal 2015–16)
One wonders, if this Company gets these benefits why not the 550 First City flat owners who have already invested their life savings, some reports say to the tune of Rs. 150 crores already in Mihan? Mind you, they were not given such lucrative discounts, in fact they paid more than the market price prevailing in most housing schemes of Nagpur then! Why cannot the Maharashtra Government and Union Minister underwrite the rest of the expenses required to build this wonderful housing project which was to showcase the best Mihan has to offer by way of housing?
But the underlying uncomfortable doubt lurks in a cynical journalist’s mind –
Is land acquired from poor, reluctant farmers at throw away prices by a Government, someone’s personal property to be given away at will at almost sub-zero price?
If we are so desperate to attract investment in Mihan and elsewhere in Vidarbha, why not offer these very attractive land prices to EVERYONE – specially small and medium industries? Why not to local companies?
On the one hand we have industries who have been running in Nagpur for 50 years now, begging for some respite in power tariffs and other benefits so they can survive. Why not work some deals for them? They also offer employment to thousands of workers – and pay them by the market rate.
And if we cannot offer this, at least ensure that the pipe dream visualized above comes true.
Some lucrative discounts for Nagpur from Patanjali please?!
At least we all become healthy in the bargain – if not rich.
