Scotland distillery to invest Rs 52cr in Una

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, August 29

Ian MacLeod Distillers, a distillery of Scotland, will set up its distilling unit at Pandoga in Una.

The proposed investment is about Rs 52 crore and the company will provide jobs to 150 persons. It will also be the first-of-its-kind project in Himachal Pradesh. The company has submitted its application for allotment of land in the industrial area at Pandoga. Officials of the Department of industries have forwarded it to the government for approval, sources said.

The GM, Industries, Una, Anshul Dhiman, said the company had completed all formalities at the ground level and proposed to set up the state-of-the-art unit. They had tested the underground water and found it suitable for the distilling of Scotch whiskeys, he said.

The GM said an in-principal approval for the project had been given and the land would be allotted to the company as soon as other permissions for it were completed.

Director, Industries, Rakesh Prajapati said the distillers had also proposed to promote distillery tourism in the area. Just as in European countries, they would invite people watch the distillation process.

“The firm expects once the unit becomes functional, it will attract about 1 lakh tourists annually. The permissions for the project are being expedited and we hope the construction will start soon. As per the project report submitted by the distillery, it will manufacture their first lot of whiskeys three years after the unit becomes functional,” the Director said.

The Director also said the distillery would invest in the state due to the efforts made by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and Industries Minister Bikram Thakur. The government was now expediting the investment proposals it had received during the investors’ meet.