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Guwahati to get first NE biotech park

Our News Bureau - Mumbai

Tarun Gogoi, Chief Minister, Assam has directed the Department of Science and Technology of the State to work out the modalities for a biotech park in the city, this biotech park would be the first such endeavour in the North East(NE). The park will tap the state's biodiversity treasures, and is expected to open up avenues for private investment. The state government has identified land for the project in north Guwahati. Being a biodiversity hotspot, the state can attract the private sector as well as entrepreneurs to set up units in the proposed park.

It is believed the park, which will come up near the Indian Institute of Technology in North Guwahati, will have incubation centres to encourage entrepreneurship development. It will also have facilities for development of medicinal plants, herbal medicines, plant genetics, micro propagation, traditional medicines, agro-technology, petroleum bio-technology, bio-fuels, genomics and information technology based on drug discovery. Gogoi also explained the policies adopted by his government to usher in rapid industrialisation in Assam. He said his government's priority was fast development of infrastructure facilities in the state - both in the urban and rural sectors. Inviting investors to visit Assam and contribute to the industrial and economic development of the state, Gogoi assured them of all necessary help and incentives. He also expressed hope that establishment of the park in the city would be a major step towards industrialisation in the region. The state government has already directed the Department of Science and Technology to prepare modalities for setting up the park. It will form a society to set up and manage the park. The Guwahati Biotech Park, whose preliminary work is going on, would be taking research activities in the area of biotechnology to a new high apart from adding a touch of dynamism to the overall aspect of science and technology.