Potato flakes processing plant in West Bengal uncertain

The future of the West Bengal government's proposed potato flakes processing unit at Sheoraphuli in Hooghly district seems to be uncertain with no private company ready to invest in the facility so far, a senior government official said here today.

"There is a doubt about the viability of the entire potato flakes processing project," Agriculture and Agricultural marketing Secretary, Subrata Biswas told PTI here today.

"Though the state government is ready to provide subsidy in the project, we are yet to find a private company," Biswas said. Asked about the future of the project in such a scenario, Biswas said that the state would wait another six months or a maximum period of one year before abandoning it. "We are still exploring other avenues. So, the scheme is still open....But we will wait for a period of six months or a maximum of up to one year... If nobody comes by then, we have to abandon the project," Biswas said.