CHANDIGARH: In a bid to enhance agricultural productivity, create employment opportunities and increase the farmers’ income, Punjab Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Food Processing Minister S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian proposed Union Food Processing Industries Minister Sh. Chirag Paswan to set up a Mega Food Park at Bathinda.
During a courtesy meeting with the Union Minister at Panchsheel Bhawan, New Delhi, S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian, who was accompanied by Principal Secretary Food Processing Ms. Rakhee Gupta Bhandari, apprised him that Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann has envisioned to increase farmers’ income by value addition to their produce, besides creating robust employment opportunities for the youth.
Highlighting the need of Mega Food Park in Malwa region, Punjab Food Processing Minister said that this mega food park will go a long way to leverage perishable agricultural produce by manufacturing processed food products for domestic as well as export markets.
Gurmeet Singh Khudian further informed that with the remarkable success of the Mega Food Park, Ladhowal (Ludhiana), the state has huge potential for another Mega Food Park in Malwa region. He offered that adequate land will be provided by the state government for setting up the Mega Food Park.
The Punjab Cabinet Minister also impressed upon the Union Food Processing Minister to intervene for the release of 4th installment of grant-in-aid for Ladhowal Mega Food Park, besides awarding a Food Testing Laboratory for Amritsar with requisite accreditation as food processing enterprises, traders, Punjab Rice Millers Association and Aachar-Murabba Association have to get their food products tested from Mohali or Delhi.
Special Chief Secretary Agriculture Mr. KAP Sinha and other senior officials of the Food Processing department and ministry were also present in the meeting.