The necessary preparations are on for the setting up of the first ever Mega Food Park in Manipur, Textiles, Commerce and Industries Minister Thongam Biswajit Singh said during a coordination meeting in Imphal.
According to a report by DIPR Manipur on Thursday, the Mega Park, will provide 1500 direct employment to the local youth in its units. On its completion, the park will also have a 1800 MT cold storage facility, and ripening chambers for locally produced fruits and vegetables.
Eight Primary Processing Centres will also be located in selected districts as part of the park. The park will also have dehydration facilities to make Ginger/Turmeric/Chilli powder and paste making, fruit juice making facilities, etc.
The machine for packaging fresh juice called Aseptic Brick Filling, popularly known as Tetra Pack, which is expensive, will be made available to the entrepreneurs inside the park, as per the official report. The park will have 40 plots for entrepreneurs and 50 percent subsidy will be provided by the Central government for Food Processing units installed inside the park.
The park will also have a food quality control lab for Quality Certification of food products produced inside the Mega Food Park and other parts of the State will also done.
The additional Chief Secretary (works) Suhel Akhtar; Principal Secretary (Textiles, Commerce and Industries) P Vaiphei, Director (Textiles, Commerce and Industries)C Arthur W, Managing Director (Manipur Food Industries Corporation Ltd, Nilakuthi)Peter Salam, concerned Deputy Commissioner, officials of Power, Works,Public health engineering Revenue departments among others.
Earlier in the day, Biswajit also chaired the Work Advisory Board meeting in respect of Directorate of Handlooms and Textiles and the Directorate of Trade, Commerce & Industries for finalization of the work programmes for the year 2019-20 in respect of the two directorates.
The board approved several work programmes for the two directorates during the meeting which was attended by Principal Secretary (Textiles, Commerce and Industries) P Vaiphei, Director (Textiles, Commerce and Industries)C Arthur W, Director Handloom Lamlee Kamei,MANIDCO MD SI Sharma; Joint Director Handloom and Handicraft E Jeeten Singh.
The work programme for Directorate of Handloom and Handicrafts was proposed in two phases with the first phase including seven projects and the second phase including two works.