HPMC products likely at Delhi metro stations shortly

Subhash Rajta

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Shimla, November 23

The HP Horticulture Produce Marketing and Processing Corporation (HPMC) plan to sell its products such as juice, jam, squash, wine, apple cider vinegar, etc., at Delhi metro stations is nearing fruition.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has issued a Letter of Award to the HPMC for 86 metro stations, where the agency picked by the latter

will set up kiosks to sell these products.

“As the model code of conduct is in place, we have sought extension from the DMRC for issuing the letter of acceptance. Meanwhile, we have selected the agency which will set up stalls at these stations and are approval from the government,” said an HPMC official.

Apart from opening up

a new and bigger market

for HPMC products, the stalls at the metro stations would generate much-needed income to the cash-strapped government agency.

“The agency we have chosen through tender for setting up stalls at the metro stations will give us an annual sale guarantee of Rs 6 crore. In case it fails to achieve the target, there’s a provision of penalty,” the official said.

“Also, we have inserted a provision of 5 per cent royalty on the rent the agency will pay to the DMRC. And both, annual sale guarantee as well as royalty, is incremental,” he said.

The official said that a joint team of the DMRC and the HPMC had identified around 100 metro stations that were commercially viable for the setting up the HPMC stalls. “The DMRC has given us a Letter of Award for 85 stations. We will try and get some more stations where we think our products would have good demand,” he said.

The HPMC is eyeing a market outside the state to sell its products, which are likely to increase significantly after the processing plant at Parala becomes functional next year.

“Once the Parala processing plant starts, not only the quantity will go up but also the quality

will improve. We have already started receiving queries from companies like Parle for fruit juice concentrate that will be produced at the Parala plant,” the official said.

100 stations identified

• A joint team of the DMRC and the HPMC had identified around 100 metro stations that were commercially viable for the setting up the HPMC stalls
• “The DMRC has given us a Letter of Award for 85 stations. We will try to get some more stations where we think our products would have good demand,” said an official.
• The corporation is eyeing a market outside the state to sell its products, which are likely to increase significantly after the processing plant at Parala becomes functional next year.