A State-level Empowered Committee (SlEC) meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Jugal Kishore Mohapatra here on Friday decided on a number of measures for promotion of food processing units in the State.
MSME Department Secretary Panchanan Dash put forth new project proposals for considerations. The Chief Secretary directed to form a State-level steering committee on food processing under the chairmanship of Principal Secretary, Agriculture for coordination among different departments and agencies involved in implementation of the State Government’s Food Processing Policy as well as the National Mission on Food Processing (NMFP).
The departments like horticulture and Employment Technical Education & Training, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), the OMFED and the APICOl, which are mostly implementing the food processing policy, would be brought under one umbrella for more focus and facilitation. The committee would look into implementation of food processing units, promote more investment in this sector and suggest measures to be taken both at the policy and implementation levels for expediting the projects.
The Chief Secretary advised the Horticulture Department to take up promotional activities, collection centres and technology upgradation works under the scheme. The BMC was advised to take up modernisation of at least 50 meat shops under the scheme. It was also decided that upgradation of infrastructure in two Government technical institutions would be undertaken under the scheme. The type of projects to be promoted under the scheme includes establishment of modern food processing units, technology upgradation in existing units, schemes for cold chain, value addition, preservation, setting up and modernization of abattoirs, creation of infrastructural facilities for running of degree/diploma courses, entrepreneurship development, food processing centers, schemes for creation primary processing units, collection and aggregation centres, modernisation of meat shops and promotional activities like conducting exposure visits, surveys, exhibitions and facilitation workshops.
The committee approved five food processing units involving a total investment of Rs 24.60 crore proposed to be set up in the districts of Baleswar, Dhenkanal, Mayurbhanj and Jajpur. It also considered four other projects of agro-diversification, food processing and modernisation of existing units which envisages a total investment of around Rs 35 crore.
The Chief Secretary directed the MSME Department to expedite the process and clear the permissible projects quickly. A fund of Rs 924 lakh has been released for promotion of micro medium and small enterprises during 2012-13. This includes a Central share of 75 per cent and a State share of 25 per cent. Budgetary provision for another Rs 712 lakh has been made for 2013-14.
The Chief Secretary also directed the concern departments to work out convergence of State subsidy programmes with subsidy provision of the NMFP so that the prospective entrepreneurs can be provided with more assistance. Economic Adviser to union Ministry of Food Processing G Bhujabal, State Secretary, Cooperation Bishnupada Sethi, Secretary, Employment Technical Education and Training Dr CS Kumar, Director, Horticulture Sanjeev Chadha and MD, APICOl Om Kar participated in the discussions.