AGARTALA, May 5 (TIWN): The then President of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam had laid the foundation stone of one of the most high profile project in Tripura considerably during that time and after long thirteenyears after the foundation stone laying the project is yet to see the production. The much needed pineapple powder-making factory at Bodhjungnagar have failed to take off despite President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam giving a headstart almost thirteen years ago.The President had inaugurated the projects during his daylong visit to the state on October 4, 2002. A strong supporter of organic cultivation, Dr. Kalam used his influence to procure a Central grant of Rs 3 crore for a pineapple powder-making factory in the state.The state government had signed a memorandum of understanding with Kolkata-based Trans-India Ltd. and provided them land worth Rs 35 lakh for setting up the pineapple factory.Representatives of the company had said at the inauguration ceremony that production would begin in the month of May, 2003. But many Mays have passed since the inauguration in 2002 but till date no step was taken both from the CPI(M) ruled state government, the Trans-India Ltd. and the Central Government to initiate works in that direction.

In the 2004 election, the then Vajpayee led Govt. was replaced by the UPA I Govt. at the centre and the works for the accomplishment of the powder factory never saw the daylight.   

It may be mentioned here that reports of embezzlment of the project money of Rs. 3 crore by the Kolkata based company in nexus with some corrupt state Govt. officials  sufaced in the local news papers which was given a blind eye allegedly by the Manik Sarkar Govt.  

Tripura pineapple which is considered as one of the best in the world has potentiality to be exported in the european countries.  Tripura contributes fair share in overall pineapple production of the country. There are of course two predominant type of Pineapple varieties available in the country one is kew and another is queen. Kew is meant for juice making and queen is popularly known for table purposes. However, both the types are delicious, kew being big sized yield substantialy high compared to the queen which is relatively smaller in size. Both the type is grown in Tripura. Kew is mainly grown in northern Tripura and queen is predominantly grown in Western and southern parts of Tripura.   

A true supporter of organic cultivation, Dr. Kalam’s dream project to process the raw pineapple into powder form through a factory in Tripura never took off and his Vision for North East did not get the true back up.

Every year, the farmers through out the state suffer huge loss in pineapple production owing to lesser market in the state and the absence of few big private companies in the state like the Dabur. 

Two Govt.s led by UPA I and UPA II has passed ever since the high profile pineapple powder making factory’s headstart and the NDA Govt. led by Narendra Modi is at the helm of affairs in New Delhi now.

Everything depends now on the Manik Sarkar led Left front Govt. in the state how they will be able to initiate the process to remove the hurdles in getting the centre’s node to start the project afresh which will help the farming community of the state in general and the state exchequer at large.