Remodel food parks scheme on cooperative mode: Par panel

Criticising the tardy progress of the Food Parks Scheme, a parliamentary committee has made a recommendation to the Food Processing Ministry for remodeling the programme along the lines of the cooperative mode adopted so successfully in the dairy sector.

The Food Parks Scheme of the Tenth Plan, which has been rechristened as the Mega Food Parks Scheme with some modifications, is yet to show any revolutionary results, a 31-member body headed by CPM's Basudeb Acharya observed in the report.

The Food Parks Scheme provides for creation of infrastructure for farm-level primary processing centres-cum cold chains in identified clusters, processing of intermediate products, collection centre-cum-cold chain centralised infrastructure to take care of processing activities.

Out of the total 56 parks approved till date for assistance by the Ministry, 41 were approved by August, 2003.

Apparently, not much headway has been made over six years, with 15 more parks being added to the list, the committee said, adding that even in parks which have been established, the number of operational units is abysmally low.

"Since the Food Processing industry predominantly consists of units in the SSI, cottage and household sectors, the ministry needs to remodel the food parks on the cooperative mode adopted so successfully in the dairy sector," the parliamentary panel recommended.

In its reply, the government said out of 10 Mega Food Parks projects being implemented on a pilot basis in the first phase, SPVs for 6 have been selected and the projects are under progress.

On the plea to remodel the scheme on a cooperative mode, the ministry said it would be premature at this juncture until and unless the pilot projects taken up in the first phase yield the desired results.