Chharba unwilling, Coca-Cola scouts for new bottling plant site

Coke's statement came three days after U'khand HC asked state govt to return 25 acres of land at Chharba to local gram panchayat

World beverages leader Coca-Cola has decided to look for a site for its proposed bottling plant elsewhere, after opposition on environmental grounds botched the company’s plan in Chharba, near here.

“We have been in discussions with SIDCUL (State Infrastructure and Industrial Development Corporation of Uttarakhand Ltd) and requested a review of alternative sites in an industrial area with adequate infrastructure facilities already in place and other industries in operation,” a spokesman of the Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Ltd, the Indian arm of Coca-Cola, told Business Standard.

“We have expressed a desire to invest in a greenfield (new) bottling plant in the state and continue our contribution to the economic growth story of the state,” the spokesman said, adding Chharba did not meet the environmental due diligence requirement.

The company’s statement comes three days after the Uttarakhand High Court in Nainital asked the government to return 25 acres in Chharba to the gram panchayat, which was against the bottling plant in the area.

A bench of Chief Justice Barin Ghosh and judge V K Bisht issued the order on a suit filed by Citizens of Green Doon Trust, a non-governmental organisation.

Top officials of SIDCUL said they would study the order before deciding the next move.

Sidharth Singh, counsel for the trust, said, “Since the government did not utilise the land for the purpose of setting up a university at Chharba, the high court said the land should be returned to the gram panchayat.”

Though there was no mention of the proposed Coca-Cola plant in the order, Chharba gram panchayat pradhan, Rumi Lal Jaswal, said the company was planning to invest Rs 600 crore for setting up the plant and the 25 acres were part of that plan.

Last year, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages had signed a memorandum of understanding with SIDCUL, nodal agency for industrial development, for the plant.

While the earlier state government had claimed the proposed investment as a major achievement, new Chief Minister Harish Rawat has been cold to the idea.

The Chharba village panchayat had unanimously passed a resolution against Coca-Cola’s bottling plant. Dwellers had organised a series of protests against Coca-Cola’s proposed entry.