Bengal govt to keep mega food park scheme 'open ended'

The Ministry of Food Processing Industry on Friday said the mega food parks coming up at different places in the counry would be under an 'open ended' scheme of the Centre and hence no ceiling on their number was fixed.

"There is no limit on mega food park projects in the country that can come up in the 12th plan period," food processing secretary Rakesh Kacker said here on Friday in a session with the Indian Chamber of Commerce. So far the Centre has cleared 30 mega food parks, 17 of which are in-principle approval.

"Seven food parks are in advanced stages of construction, including the Janigipur Mega food park in Murshidabad," officials said.

 

The Centre has so far given final approval for 13 mega food parks and accord in-principle approval for 17 parks. Kacker said for the project, launched in 2009, one of the biggest hurdles had been land acquisition.

He informed that budget allocation of the Ministry for the current financial year had been Rs 660 crore in which about Rs 85 crore was earmarked for the mega food park projects.