Tura, 15th March 2024: Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Friday handed over the land allotment documents to Varun Beverages for the setting up of an industrial unit at Mendipathar, North Garo Hills.
The programme was held at Mendipathar.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister Sangma expressed his gratitude to Meghalaya Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) for having completed the processes of the land allotment in a record time.
Talking about the project and the setting up of the industrial unit, the Chief Minister said that the Mendipathar Industrial Growth Centre was declared as an industrial area few years ago however no developments have taken place in the area for years.
“With the setting up of this industrial unit for packaging soft drinks like Pepsi, Mirinda and other beverages the lives of people will be transformed as employment opportunities for local people will open up,” he said.
He also informed that soft drinks and beverages that are consumed on a daily basis are bottled in Assam or West Bengal.
“With this bottling unit in Mendipathar we can consume the soft drinks that are packaged in our own state,” he said adding that the company will in future explore the possibilities of packaging drinks and products from locally available products like pineapples also.
Sangma further said that for making this plant 185 crores will be invested by the company and it will be done within 12 months(one year) which means next year by April or May, the plant will be inaugurated.
It may be mentioned that the state government on Thursday, 14th March, 2024 signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Varun Beverages for setting up a PepsiCo Bottling unit at Mendipathar.
For the Pepsico Bottling Plant, the government of Meghalaya has allocated 25 acres for a Pepsi bottling facility.