Ongoing anti-slaughtering environment across the country especially, in this part of the world appears to have hit the ambitious plan to revive once famous bacon factory here.
Indications coming in boost the opinion since the Directorate of Animal Husbandry is forced to extend date fixed for bid opening meant to select an operator for its defunct bacon factory. Source in the Department said that only a couple of interested parties from Assam had contacted initially who also turned away later on.
“We could not get any response to the Expression of Interest (EOI) invited to run the bacon factory. The bids were to be opened on September 1 but none had turned up. We have moved a file extending the date for further one month and in the next 15 days or so the fresh EoI would be published,” said RS Rai, a senior official in the Animal Husbandry Directorate on Thursday.
The idea behind was to revive the bacon factory located at Kanke as meat processing hub and resume it on PPP mode with a private player. The Directorate has offered greater amount of flexibility to the interested parties, including freedom to adopt ‘own model and own offer’ for setting up meat processing facilities. Full of potential and guarantee of supply from vast hinterland of the State the site brings with it total 9.52 acre of land.
When contacted, the management of Guwahati based ‘Arohan Foods’, a leading operator in pork meat processing sector of the country, admitted about being in touch with the State Government.
“We had a plan to invest in Jharkhand earlier and have had some preliminary talks but later the management decided against it due to some technical reasons. The inputs were that in the scenario prevailing in the mainland the condition may not be favourable to go for an abattoir,” said an official of the firm.
Notably, cases of vigilantism in the name of cow have come from some parts of the State where cattle traders have been subjected to brutalities in the hands of mob. Despite the fact the bacon factory is meant to cull and process hygienic meat of pork, goat and poultry for local consumption as well as forward linkages, the issue holds significance sentimentally.
However, on its part, the Directorate denies the reason behind lack of interest shown officially. “We don’t think so. Probably the factory turning too old and all its machinery going useless may be the reason why we could not get any interested party so far. As the next step, we would offer even better and may even contact some leading players personally. If they come and see the resources from their own then they would realise actual potential of the Bacon Factory,” said RS Rai who also hinted that if none turns up even after the effort the Government may mull running it of its own.
On the other, the RMC is also coming up with a modern slaughter house in Ranchi for similar purpose which is expected to complete by March next year. Nevertheless who would operate the facility is yet to become clear.