Ministry of Food Processing Industries signed Joint Communique with Ministry of Tribal Affairs and MoUs with Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED), Indian Council of Agricultural Research(ICAR), National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation(NSFDC), National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED) and National Cooperative Development Corporation(NCDC) defining convergence mechanism in implementation of PM FME scheme.
Further, the MoFPI signed an agreement with Union Bank of India as nodal bank for PM FME scheme. In another meeting chaired by Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister for FPI, 231 ODOP of 15 states and UTs were approved.
Pushpa Subrahmanyam, Secretary, MoFPI, Deepak Khandekar, Secretary, Tribal Affairs, Manoj Joshi, AS, MoFPI, Trilochan Mohapatra, DG, ICAR, S K Narayan, CMD, NSFDC, K.T. Channeshappa, Executive Director, Vinod Kumar Patnaik, General Manager, Union Bank of India, and Amit Bhatnagar, Deputy General Manager, TRIFED were present during this event.
During the signing of MoUs, Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thawar Chand Gehlot, Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda, and MoS, MoFPI Rameswar Teli, were also present.
Union Minister for FPI said that these MoUs would help in providing employment and improving quality of life through schemes of the govt in priority areas. He added that the foremost priority of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is i.e. Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikaas.
Small businesses cannot progress without the assistance of government therefore it is important that they get the support of government. He added that MoFPI has made efforts to work in synergy with various departments for the benefit of common man. PM FME scheme has total outlay of Rs 10,000 crores.
He expressed hope that all organisations would function in a better way through these MoUs and people will get trained and would come forward for food production. He even added that awareness about Vocal for Local is rising and today’s event is a welcome step in this direction.
Gehlot said that in this scheme, Rs800 crores will be available for scheduled caste people who will benefit hugely and would move forward in the direction of becoming Atmanirbhar.
Union Minister for Tribal Affairs said that it is a great opportunity to make the nation strong in sight of Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.
Further Teli said that these five MoUs will open new avenues and would lead to greater coordination and team work.
The joint communique would enable easier identification ofTribal enterprises and groups in food processing sector including minor forest produce.
How theses MoUs will work?
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MoU with TRIFED would help in branding of food products made by tribal under ‘TRIFOOD’.
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MoU with ICAR would help in sharing food processing technology, packaging and machinery developed in various organisations.
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MoU with NSFDC would enable capacity building, training, research and development of SC entrepreneurs, SHGs and other groups in food processing sector.
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MoU with NAFED would help in developing new brand for ‘NAFED FOOD’ products.
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NCDC MoU would help in preparing projects and detailed project reports of members of cooperative societies in food processing sector.
Union Bank of India would help in transferring the subsidy received from Centre and states into loan accounts.
Inter-Ministerial Empowered Committee(IMEC) meeting also has 231 ODOPs of 15 states/UTs were approved in the IMEC virtual meeting under chairmanship of Tomar and in the presence of Teli.
