In the offing: Perfume park, museum and twin city tie-up
LUCKNOW: A perfume park, perfume museum and a twin city agreement proposed between ‘itra’ city Kannauj and Grasse, France – these three novel initiatives will assume centre stage following chief minister Akhilesh Yadav’s weeklong France visit.
“We have received a comprehensive note from the CM’s office for follow-up action of the delegation’s visit to France. The state government will initiate a number of steps to give a boost to the ‘itra’ industry of Kannauj. Steps will be taken to set up international perfume museum there apart from training students in the field and marketing the ‘itra’ in a better way,” said chief secretary Alok Ranjan.
The CM had led a delegation to Grasse, known for its perfumes, to explore possibilities of a tie-up and give boost to the ‘itra’ industry of Kannauj — the Lok Sabha constituency of his MP wife Dimple Yadav.
“A delegation representing the consortium of perfume industry of Grasse will also visit Kannauj in the coming months (around October 2015) to discuss modalities of the tie-up between the two cities,” said a senior officer in the state government.
“After the agreement, we will put up boards projecting Grasse and Kannauj as twin cities. A separate enclosure will be set up for the ‘itra’ industry of Kannauj in the proposed international perfume museum,” he added.
The Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation (UPSIDC) has already begun making arrangements for nearly 400-acre of land for setting up a perfume park for the industry.
“The UPSIDC has nearly 300-acre ‘gram sabha’ land available in Kannauj. Another 100-acre land is being arranged to complete the cluster of 400-acre of land required for the purpose. UPSIDC has been asked to prepare the detailed project report (DPR) for the park in a month. It will send 10 to 15 students every year to Grasse for training of three, six and one year duration in perfume and perfumery management,” said the officer.
According to sources, the visit was an eye opener for the delegation comprising Kannauj MP Dimple Yadav, representatives of the Kannauj’s ‘itra’ industry Mushahid Ahmad Khan and Pushpraj Jain, along with senior officers of the state government, including special secretary to the CM GS Naveen Kumar, UPSIDC managing director Manoj Singh and district magistrate, Kannauj Anuj Kumar Jha.
“There is immense potential of boosting export of Kannauj’s ‘itra’ and we will work out on measures to explore it,” said another officer.
Meanwhile, the CM has asked senior officers to seek necessary clearances for Kannauj from the Centre for Geographical Indication to ensure its recognition at the international level in the perfume manufacturing sector.