Question : Mega Food Parks

(a) the details of the actions taken by the Government so far to start the functioning of proposed Mega Food Park in Cherthala, in Kerala;

(b) the details of funds sanctioned for the proposed park so far;

(c) whether the State Government of Kerala had submitted any detailed project report to the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) for approval;

(d) if so the actions taken in this regard;

(e) the details of the Mega Food Parks in different parts of the Country and the status of announced projects;

(f) whether the Government has taken any measures to promote the production and export of local food items peculiar to the region in these food parks; and

(g) if so, the actions taken so far?

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES
(SADHVINIRANJANJYOTI)

(a) to (d):Ministry of Food Processing Industries has approved a Mega Food Park(MFP) project of M/s Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation Ltd at Cherthala in Alappuzha District, Kerala.M/s Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation Ltd has submitted detailed project report before the grant of the final approval of project and the project was accorded final approval on 27.11.2015 for setting up of Mega Food Park with the grant-in-aid of Rs50 Crore. To expedite the implementation of this MFP, the Ministry is providing all the necessary support including interaction with various concerned Departments/ Agencies of the State and Central Governments to remove the bottlenecks in implementation, making suitable amendments in the scheme and its guidelines and pursuing State Government to extend fiscal and other benefits to the project to attract investment. Progress of implementation of the MFP project is monitored/reviewed regularly by the Ministry. The Inter-Ministerial Approval Committee (IMAC) headed by Hon’ble Minister for Food Processing Industries also reviews progress of the project periodically and based on the experience, corrective measures are taken to remove bottlenecks in the implementation process. A provision for imposing penalty has also been made in the Revised Scheme guidelines (applicable w.e.f. 10.02.2014) in case of non-adherence to stipulated timeline for completion of project by the implementing agencies.

(e): Government has approved 42 Mega Food Parksto develop modern infrastructure facilities for food processing along the value chain from farm to marketacross the country. Details of theapproved Mega Food Parks with their status are at Annexure-I.

(f) & (g): A Special Fund of Rs. 2,000 crore has been created by the Government with NABARD to provide loan at a concessional rate to Mega Food Parks and food processing units to be set up in the designated Food Parks. These food processing units may carryout production of local food items of the region and export the same.

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