BHUBANESWAR: The Centre has so far sanctioned projects worth over Rs 450 crore under various components of Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY) for overall growth and development of the food processing sector.
In a written reply in Lok Sabha, Union food processing minister Prahlad Singh Patel said under PMKSY, the Centre has so far released grant-in-aid of around Rs 109 crore to Odisha under various component schemes.
“The food processing industries ministry provide credit-linked financial assistance (capital subsidy) in the form of grants-in-aid to entrepreneurs for setting up of food processing and preservation infrastructure as well as food processing units,” said the Union minister.
To a query from BJP MP Basanta Panda on the status of projects under PMKSY in Odisha, the Union minister said component schemes like mega food park, integrated cold chain and value addition infrastructure, creation and expansion of food processing and preservation capacities, food safety and quality assurance infrastructure are being taken up in Odisha.
“The Centre has so far sanctioned 12 component projects under the PMKSY of which as many as seven have been completed. PMKSY is a demand-driven scheme and is being implemented across the country,” said Patel.
Odisha’s first mega food park was set up by the food processing ministry at Rayagada at an investment of around Rs 81 crore, including central assistance of Rs 50 crore, with facilities like fully operational industrial sheds, developed industrial plots for lease to food processing units, rice processing complex, warehouse, cold store, multi-fruit processing facility and other similar facilities. It was planned to benefit around 25,000 farmers in the tribal-dominated region.
The Centre has also planned another mega food park in the state with an aim to attract private investment in food processing sector, also a focus sector of the state government.
