New Delhi: After a long gap, people of Murshidabad saw the promise made by the Centre during the UPA government in 2008 being kept by the NDA government in 2016. Murshidabad, West Bengal was allotted Jangipur Mega Food Park in year 2008 to benefit poor farmers and people of North 24 Paragans, Birbhum, Malda, and Bardwan but the project could not see the light of the day till 2016.
It was a result of the genuine efforts made by the Minister of Food Processing Industries Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal to ensure that revival of Jangipur Mega Food Park takes place so that gigantic critical food processing infrastructure is made available to the poor farmers of this backward belt of West Bengal that Jangipur Mega Food Park could see the light of the day. The Hon’ble President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee has inaugurated Jangipur Mega Food Park today in the august presence of Hon’ble Governor of West Bengal Shri Keshari Nath Tripathi. “The Mega Food Park to leverage an additional investment of about Rs. 250 crore in food processing units in the Park, generate a turnover of about Rs. 500 Crore annually and is expected to provide direct and indirect employment to 6000 people at CPC & PPCs and benefit about 25000-30000 farmers in the catchment areas.” Said Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal.
Speaking on the occasion, Smt. Badal said that “Connecting farmers with food processing infrastructure and creating markets are her primary goals so that farmers get remunerative price of their produce. Modern infrastructure at Jangipur, Murshidabad will benefit farmers and growers of North 24 Paragans, Birbhum, Malda, and Bardwan and would benefit processors and consumers and will give big boost to the growth of the food processing sector in West Bengal. Mega Food Park at Jangipur has been set up with the project cost of Rs. 132.71 Crore approximately and in an area of 82.11 acre with a grant of Rs. 50.00 crore provided by my ministry.”
The food park is having the facilities of fully operational industrial sheds for SMEs, developed industrial plots for lease to food processing units and facilities of 8000 MT Warehouse, 5000 MT Multi Crop Cold Storage, 10000 MT Potato Cold Storage, IQF & Pulping line of 1.5 ton per hour each, 3000 MT Deep Freeze and Quality control lab. The Park also has a common administrative building for office and other uses by the entrepreneurs, Dormitory and Row Houses. 6 Primary Processing Centres (PPCs) at Kandi, Sheikhpara, Barasat, Siuri, Gour Road and Katwawill provide facilities for primary processing and storage near the farms.
Under the visionary guidance of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Ministry of Food Processing Industries is focusing on boosting the food processing industry so that agriculture sector grows exponentially and becomes a major contributor towards doubling the farmer’s income and therefore food processing is the major thrust area of Make in India initiative.
Under the stewardship of Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Ministry of Food Processing Industries has been able to successfully create an environment that is smooth, transparent and conducive for the growth of food processing sector in the country. For the first time government has allowed 100% Foreign Direct Investment in Retail of Swadeshi Food that is produced and manufactured in India which is going to spur growth of food processing in India. “India is a most resilient food economy as a result of which India is going to become the Food Factory of the World by 2022 and our government has put food processing infrastructure on an automatic seamless growth mode. Development of Mega Food Parks in remote areas in India are our first priority. She further added that ‘Time is not far when India shall witness its 6 lakh villages connected with Mega Food Park Processing Units” Said Smt. Badal.
Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Hon’ble Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries,Shri Abdur Razzak Molla, Minister for Department of Food Processing Industries & Horticulture, Govt. of West Bengal, Shri Jakir Hossain, Minister of State, Department of Labour, Govt. of West Bengal,Shri Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Member of Parliament from Behrampore and Shri Abhijeet Mukherjee, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha)from Jangipur were also present on the occasion.
Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal thanked Hon’ble President of India for gracing the occasion and also thanked Hon’ble Chief Minister and the State Government for the support extended by them in setting up the Food Park.
6 comments