EAST UP: RS 1,500 CRORE

VARANASI: At least 26 industrialists and nine companies have promised an investment of Rs 1,500 crore in eastern Uttar Pradesh, an official said. “Twenty-six industrialists have pledged an investment of Rs 900 crore in different sectors in Varanasi division. MoUs were signed with them in a recent meeting and were forwarded to the investors’ summit,” joint commissioner (industries) Umesh Kumar Singh said. According to general manager, UPSIDC (Varanasi region), Subodh Saxena, nine companies, including Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL), have shown interest in making investments worth Rs 648 crore in eastern UP. He said the industrialists would share their investment plans with top officials associated with the summit. “Investors have shown interest in agrobased industries. Most of them are interested in setting up food processing units in the region known for producing rice, wheat and green vegetables,” Saxena said.

“HPCL will set up a bottling plant in Varanasi. Other companies will set up their units in Mirzapur, Ghazipur and other pockets of the region,” he said. If the investments materialise, the new units are likely to create 10,000 employment opportunities. RK Chaudhary, an industrialist, said a group of 50 industrialists of Varanasi would attend the investors’ summit. “Eastern UP needs a dose of investment for speedy growth,” he said. Ghazipur and Ballia are known for producing chillies and tomatoes in abundance while Chandauli, the home district of union home minister Rajnath Singh, is known as a rice bowl for producing fine quality rice. Many pockets in Varanasi are famous for growing fresh vegetables, beans, tomatoes, chillies, potatoes and green vegetables.