The Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has sanctioned a Mega Seafood Park in Odisha with a cost of Rs 107 crore. MoFPI Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal announced this on Tuesday in a videoconference held to announce setting up of 17 new Mega Food Parks in the country. MoFPI Secretary Rangalal Jamuda was present.
State Industries Principal Secretary Sanjeev Chopra, Fisheries and ARD Secretary Bishnupada Sethi, Idco CMD Vishal Dev and MSME Secretary Panchanan Dash were present at the NIC during the conference. The proposed Mega Sea food Park would aim at more export of seafood from the State.
The project would come up at Deras on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar in an area of 100 acres. It would generate employment of more than 10,000. Idco-developed plots would be made available in the seafood park on lease with power, water and ETP facilities. The project focuses on processing units for seafood industry. Common facilities like ETP, pre-processing centres, block ice, cold storage, packaging units, polythene units, laundry units, dormitories, administrative and annex buildings would be put in place.
Utility supply and external linkages are to be built within the park. The park would be ideal for different seafood such as prawn and fish which would be processed with modern methodology to cater to various parts of the world.
The seaports in the State’s different locations and the proposed International Airport in Bhubaneswar would provide smooth logistic support for the finished products of the park. To promote such ventures, the State Government has committed to provide support to the project through the Idco.
An SPV for the project would be formed soon, said sources. In the meantime, a Master Planning and Topographical Study has been completed. Detailed engineering, drawing and estimation are underway, officials revealed. External infrastructures such as approach road and water and power supply for the park are to be provided within next six months, said a senior official.
The project is expected to be commissioned within two years as the final approval was obtained from the MoFPI on Tuesday. Various investors are already in discussion with the MSME Department and the Idco for starting their operations at the park, said the official.