Lucknow, September 18 (HS). Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said that there are immense employment opportunities in the food processing sector. He has instructed the officials of the Horticulture and Food Processing Department to create employment by setting up as many food processing units as possible in the state. Efforts should be made to set up more and more small units, this will benefit entrepreneurs on one hand, employment will be created, and local farmers will also benefit. The Deputy Chief Minister was reviewing the implementation and progress of various schemes of the Food Processing Department at his camp office 7-Kalidas Marg on Wednesday.
Keshav Prasad Maurya said that people should be made more and more aware about the establishment of food processing units. The general public should be informed about the big subsidy being given to the units being set up in this sector. Local public representatives should also be invited in the training programs being given to people in the field of food processing. He emphasized that a plan should be made to train women of self-help groups in the field of food processing. Special attention should be paid to the quality of the products prepared in the units and transparency should be maintained. The establishment of small units should be encouraged, only then the income of farmers will also increase.
He stressed on the effective implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Micro Food Industry Upgradation Scheme. It was told that there is a provision of 35 percent subsidy in this scheme. 10 thousand people have been benefited under this scheme. The Deputy Chief Minister directed that more units should be set up under this scheme and people should be encouraged for this.
He said that a district-wise list of the units installed should be made available and a workshop of the representatives of the selected units should be organised. In the new food processing industry policy, there is a provision of 90 percent subsidy to women for installing solar plants in the units. Wherever solar plants have been installed in THR plants, subsidy has been given to all of them.
Additional Chief Secretary Horticulture and Food Processing B.L. Meena, Director Horticulture and Food Processing Vijay Bahadur Dwivedi, Director of Regional Food Research and Analysis Center S.K. Singh and other officials were present in the meeting.