Thumbe neera unit may not start in the near future

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Sep 22,2015 :   A pilot neera-manufacturing and packing unit of the government at Thumbe, which stopped functioning this month, is unlikely to resume operations soon. This is even after the government released funds to a private company of farmers, which is managing it, for upgrading the unit.

Palakkad Coconut Producers’ Company Ltd., an initiative of coconut growers from Kerala, was managing the unit since March 2014, for the Department of Horticulture. The State government entrusted the operation and maintenance to it for three years.    According to the project consultant of the company. Satish, the company received a cheque for Rs. 64.75 lakh on September 11, 2015, from the department for upgrading the unit. But, unless they address it, it will not be possible for us to resume operation in a free and fair manner and start upgrading.  The matter will be taken up with the higher officials of the department, it is said.

Consultant Satish made it clear that the company would not resume operations soon. He said that it was the State government which approached the company for operation and maintenance.  He said that after releasing Rs. 15 lakh for operation and maintenance for the initial three months, the department had not released funds for the purpose. Now, the department owed about Rs. 10 lakh to the company till last month for operation and maintenance.

The Deputy Director, Horticulture, said that the company had promised that it would bring scientists from the Central Food and Technological Research Institute, Mysuru, regarding the upgrading  The department would have to verify the amount quoted by the company for operation and maintenance before sanctioning it. He said that now the department had plans to start a training centre on the premises of the same unit at Thumbe for manufacture of neera and  other products.