Guwahati: In a review meeting of the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Enterprises (PMFME) scheme on 6th July 2021, the Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries, Rameswar Teli stated that the work on six mini food parks in Assam is under process during the presence of Industries and Commerce Minister, Chandra Mohan Patowary.

The Ministry has set a target to support around 12,778 units with a budget allocation of Rs. 638.92 crore in a period of five years. This target will establish ten mini food parks in Assam within the next 5 years. Six of them got sanctioned for Tinsukia, Morigaon, Sonitpur, Kamrup Metro, Darrang & Karbi Anglong Districts. Rest four will be commissioned soon.

The major food park at Tihu is almost ready. An amount of Rs. 3.39 crore were allotted to Tocklai Tea Research Institute for the labs and one more lab for quality tea testing in GTAC is on the thought process. While the Sonapur will also have a food processing research institute.

Further, 50 percent subsidy is provided for transportation via train or air from NE to any other Indian state.

The food processing sector of Assam has a huge potential while the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) launched this PMFME scheme for providing financial, technical, and business support for the up-gradation of existing micro food processing enterprises.
Underlying the fact that 21 unique products were for the One District One Product (ODOP) Scheme, Rameswar Teli has asked for cooperation from the Industry, Agriculture, and Horticulture departments.

Industries and Commerce Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary asked the Industry Department officials to take up the food processing sector on a priority basis. He further asked the FINER, FICCI, and Laghu Udyog Bharati to prepare a roadmap for food processing industries as it is only this sector that can uplift the rural economy.

For the scheme implementation, the Industries and Commerce Department is the State Nodal Department & Assam Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) is the State Nodal Agency. The general managers of the DICCs were nominated as District Resource Persons (DRP) for facilitating the applicants and raising awareness drives.

Adding, under “Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan”, the scheme will assist two lakh micro food processing units spread across the country over a period of five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25 with an outlay of Rs 10,000 crore.

Picture Courtesy: Sentinel Assam