Question : PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP FOR FPI IN ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS

(a) whether the Government has any proposal for public private partnership for the infrastructure development in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on Food Processing Industries (FPIs); and

(b) if so, the details thereof?

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES (SHRI SUBODH KANT SAHAI)

(a) to (b) : Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MFPI) under its Plan scheme provides financial assistance to the project proposals received from various organizations including State Governments for Infrastructure Development for Food Processing Industries as per extant guidelines. No specific proposal for Public Private Partnership for the Infrastructure Development of Food Processing Industries has been received by MFPI from Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

MFPI has submitted a scheme to Planning Commission, which envisages providing financial assistance for setting up of thirty mega Food Parks in the country during 11th Five Year Plan period. The scheme, which is project oriented, aims to provide a mechanism to bring together farmers, processors and retailers and link agricultural production to the market so as to ensure maximization of value addition, minimization of wastages and improving farmers’ income. Mega Food Park envisages a well-defined agri/horticultural- processing zone containing state of the art processing facilities with support infrastructure and well established supply chain. The primary objective of the scheme is to facilitate establishment of an integrated value chain, with processing at the core and supported by requisite forward and backward linkages. The scheme envisages Private Sector led initiatives for its implementation.