Vibha Sharma
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, June 29
The PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PM-FME) scheme will generate investment of Rs 35,000 crore and 9 lakh skilled and semi-skilled employment, Food Processing Industries Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal said today, launching the scheme announced under PM Narendra Modi's "Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan".
'To adopt one district, one product approach'
A 'one district, one product' cluster approach will be adopted while providing credit-linked subsidy for setting up 2 lakh micro processing units across the country under the Rs10,000 cr Central scheme — Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Food Processing Minister
"The scheme aims to take local brand to global by addressing the challenges of credit, technology and retail market access," she said.
To be implemented over a period of five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25 with an outlay of Rs 10,000 crore, the minister said around eight lakh units would benefit across the country.
In her home state, Punjab, she said approximately 63,000 units would be funded under the scheme, but it all depends upon the "proactiveness" of the Congress-led government after identifying which micro enterprise/product it wants to upgrade/support under "One District One Product" plan keeping in existing clusters and availability of raw material.
Operation Greens extended to more crops
The Centre has announced that farmers and processors can now get the benefit of 50 per cent subsidy on storage and transportation of 18 more fruits and vegetables from surplus production areas to major consumption centres under the existing 'Operation Greens'
However, in a scathing observation against the Congress-led Punjab Government, Badal said she had not been approached by the state for "anything from her ministry".
"In Punjab, they do not even have the Food Processing Ministry. When I talk to the minister incharge, he tells me that he does not have any officer or received a single file connected to the ministry," she said.
She said since it was a Centrally sponsored scheme, the onus to push through the projects was on respective states.
"The Centre has sanctioned three mega food parks in Punjab. The Ladowal food park is the only among 40 mega food parks where units have become functional, but the Punjab Government has not been able to ensure the functioning of cold storage and electricity supply," she added.
"I can keep giving grants and sanctioning projects, but unless the state comes forward we cannot achieve the optimum," she said.
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/2ZozsNt
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