Orissa woos ITC with land offer

KOLKATA: The Orissa government has offered ITC Ltd land to attract investment in the state but the company is not interested due to prior commitments to West Bengal.

"Orissa government has offered some land, but since we have made commitment to the West Bengal chief minister we are not going now," the chairman of the company Y C Deveshwar said on the sidelines of a national HRD summit.

ITC was planning to build a confectionery and snacks factory in West Bengal, but the company declined to divulge investment figures.

"First we need to have the factory, then the multiplier effect about supply chain will take place," Deveshwar said when asked about setting up of e-choupals in this part of the country. The company said it required a minimum of 100 acre but the state government was yet to allot it.

"Things are positive, but we are also aware of the problems the state is facing after the Nandigram controversy."

ITC had earlier announced total investment of Rs 1,000 crore in West Bengal spread over IT, logistics hub, agri and the cigarette business. The company had sought 10 acre adjacent to the hotel on EM Bypass, 50 acre each for IT and an agri-zone.