Bhopal: A Dhar-based company has proposed an investment of around Rs 178 crore to set up a food processing unit in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur district, officials said.The unit will manufacture potato flakes and French fries and is expected to generate employment for around 476 people, they said.The company has been allotted 14.16 hectares of land on a 99-year lease under the state’s industrial land allotment framework.MP Industrial Development Corporation (MPIDC) managing director Chandramauli Shukla said the project would strengthen the food processing ecosystem and create stronger linkages between agriculture and processing in the region.Chhatarpur and adjoining areas have a strong agricultural base, and the investment would add processing capacity closer to production centres while creating local jobs, he said.Madhya Pradesh has identified food and agro-processing as a focus sector and is developing industrial infrastructure and offering land across districts to draw investments beyond its traditional industrial hubs.The proposed unit is expected to add value to the potato supply chain by processing produce into flakes and fries, besides generating demand for raw material and allied services, according to MPIDC.