Centre sanctions 2 CFCs for industrial development in Punjab

The Union government has sanctioned two common facility centres (CFCs) worth Rs 30 crore to facilitate industrial development in Punjab, an official spokesperson said here today.

While one CFC for manufacturing oil expellers would be established at Ludhiana, the other would be a foundary and general engineering cluster at Phagwara, the spokesperson said.

To be developed at a cost of Rs 15 crore each, the two CFCs would become operational within 24 months, he said.

The oil expeller manufacturing CFC, which would be instrumental in boosting the export potential from Rs 100 crore to Rs 250 crore annually, will generate employment for 2,000 to 3,500 persons, he said.

The Phagwara centre will produce aluminum-based die engines to replace the conventional cast iron-based diesel engine, which are commonly used in agricultural pump sets for irrigation and de-watering in waterlogged areas, he said.

With this new technology based on aluminum die, Punjab's farmers would be immensely benefitted as their input cost per acre would be reduced drastically by Rs 6,000 per acre, he said.

On an average, the weight of Iron engine is 130 kg as compared to 45 kg of aluminum based engine, which is far more fuel efficient, with consumption of 0.4 litre per hour against 0.8 litre per hour in case of iron engine, he said.

The cost of aluminum engine is Rs 10,000 while the iron engine costs Rs 15,000, he said.