[Indian Year Book 2022-23]* Indian Year Book Notes | Chapter 17. Food, Civil supplies and Consumer Affairs

 

Indian Year Book

(2022-23)

Chapter – 17. Food, Civil supplies and

Consumer Affairs

 

Ø  The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution is a ministry with two departments - the Department of Food and Public Distribution and the Department of Consumer Affairs. Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) has been entrusted with the following work: internal trade; the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, etc.; Prevention of Black Marketing and Maintenance of Supply of Essential Commodities Act, 1980; regulation of package and commodities; training in legal metrology; consumer cooperatives, etc.

Ø  The Department of Food and Public Distribution, in the Ministry, is responsible for the management of the food economy of the nation. It undertakes various activities, such as procurement of food items, storage, movement, and delivery to the distributing agencies.

Ø  The primary policy objective of the Department is to ensure food security for the country through timely and effi cient procurement and distribution of food grains.

 

Consumer Affairs

Ø  The mandate of the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) is consumer advocacy. India was a pioneer in consumer advocacy with the Consumer Protection Act (CPA), a path-breaking legislation at the time, enacted in 1986, and the establishment of a separate government department dedicated to consumer affairs as early as in 1997.

 

Consumer Awareness

Ø  The DCA has been conducting a countrywide multimedia awareness campaign since 2005 on various issues related to consumer rights and responsibilities across diverse subjects. “Jago Grahak Jago” has today become a household axiom.

Ø  The consumer awareness campaign is implemented through the Directorate of Audio and Visual Publicity (DAVP), the Doordarshan Network (DD), and the All India Radio (AIR) of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

 

Consumer Welfare Fund

Ø  The Central Excise and Salt Act, 1944 was amended in 1991 to enable the Central government to create a Consumer Welfare Fund into which unclaimed central excise revenues not refundable to the manufacturers would be credited annually.

Ø  The Consumer Welfare Fund was created in 1992 to provide fi nancial assistance to promote and protect the welfare of the consumer, create consumer awareness and strengthen the voluntary consumer movement in the country, particularly in rural areas.

Ø  The Department of Consumer Affairs operates the fund, set up by the Department of Revenue under the Central Excise and Salt Act, 1944. Under its Rules, since revised in 2014, any agencies/ organizations engaged in consumer welfare activities for at least fi ve years and registered under the Companies Act, Societies Registration Act, Cooperative Societies Act or any other law for the time being in force are eligible for fi nancial assistance from the Fund.

 

Consumer Protection Act, 1986

Ø  This Act provided the legislative framework to better protect the interests of the consumer by creating a formal but quasi-judicial dispute resolution mechanism exclusively for consumers. This progressive legislation established the three-tier quasi-judicial consumer dispute redress machinery at the national, state, and district levels aimed at providing simple, speedy, and affordable redress to consumers.

 

Consumer Protection Act, 2019

Ø  The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 (New Act) became effective from August 2019. The salient features of the Act, include, establishment of Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) to:

·         Protect, promote and enforce the rights of consumers as a class, and prevent violation of consumers’ rights under this Act;

·         Prevent unfair trade practices and ensure that no person engages in unfair trade practices;

·         Ensure that no false or misleading advertisement is made of any goods or services which contravenes the provisions of this Act or the rules or regulations made there under;

·         Ensure that no person takes part in the publication of any advertisement which is false or misleading.

 

Umang App

Ø  Unifi ed Mobile Application for New-Age Governance, (UMANG) is one of the key initiatives under the Digital India programme to develop a common, unifi ed platform and mobile app to facilitate a single point of access to all government services.

 

§  t is invasiged to provide:

·         A master application, which will integrate major government services from various sectors such agriculture, education, health, housing among others.

·         Enable users to access e-Government services from the central government, the state governments, local bodies and their agencies.

·         To abridge inconvenience faced by users in managing multiple mobile apps and facilitate a onestop-solution to avail varied government services.

·         This app includes the national consumer helpline for the consumers.

National consumer helpline: A separate portal (consumerhelpline.gov.in) has been established to create awareness, advice, redress consumer grievances and act as a central registry for lodging consumer grievances. The portal also helps in creating awareness among consumers to protect their rights and inform them of their responsibilities. The registered grievances are passed on to the concerned agency instantly and action taken refl ected on real time basis.

 

 Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)

Ø  A new Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Act 2016 came into force from 2017. The Act establishes the BIS as the National Standards Body of India.

Ø  It has enabling provisions for the Government to bring under compulsory certifi cation regime any goods or article of any scheduled industry, process, system or service which it considers necessary in the public interest or for the protection of human, animal or plant health, the safety of the environment, or prevention of unfair trade practices, or national security.

Ø  The Act enables the Central government to appoint any authority/agency, in addition to the BIS, to verify the conformity of products and services to a standard and issue certifi cate of conformity. The Bureau of Indian Standards was set up as a statutory organization taking over the assets and liabilities of the Indian Standards Institution (ISI) that came into existence in 1947.

Ø  The Bureau has its headquarters in New Delhi.

 

Consumer Grievance Redress

Ø  Under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, a three-tier quasi-judicial mechanism has been set up in the country to adjudicate complaints fi led before them and to provide speedy redress to consumers.

Ø  National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (National Commission) at the apex level with territorial jurisdiction over the whole country and pecuniary jurisdiction to consider consumer disputes/complaints involving claims above ₹1.00 crore and with appellate jurisdiction over state/ commissions.

Ø  State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions (State Commissions) with territorial jurisdiction over the state/ UT concerned and fi nancial jurisdiction to entertain consumer complaints involving claims above ₹ 20.00 lakh and up to ₹ 1.00 crore and with appellate jurisdiction over the district for a District Consumer Disputes Redressal For a (District Forum) with territorial jurisdiction over the district and pecuniary jurisdiction up to ₹20.00 lakh.

 

National Test House (NTH)

Ø  It is a premier test and quality evaluation laboratory for industrial, engineering and consumer products under the administrative control of the Government of India since the year 1912.

§  The NTH issues test certifi cates in scientifi c and engineering fi elds to certify conformity to national/ international specifi cations or customer standard specifi cations.

§  Price Monitoring

·         The DCA operates a Price Monitoring Cell (PMC) tasked with monitoring prices of select essential commodities. The monitoring is done in respect of both retail and wholesale prices daily

 

Food and Public Distribution

Ø  The primary objective of the Department of Food & Public Distribution is to ensure food security for the country through effi cient procurement at Minimum Support Price (MSP), storage and distribution of food grains; ensuring the availability of food-grains sugar and edible oils through appropriate policy instruments; including maintenance of buffer stocks of food-grains; making food-grains accessible at reasonable prices, especially to the weaker and vulnerable sections of society under a Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS).

§  Pocurement of Food-grains

Ø  Food Corporation of India (FCI), with the help of state government agencies, procures wheat, paddy and coarse grains in various states to provide price support to the farmers. Before each Rabi/Kharif crop season, the central government announces the Minimum Support Prices (MSP), base on the recommendations of Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), which takes into consideration the cost of various agricultural inputs and the reasonable margin for the farmers for their produce.

Ø  State governments are encourage to adopt a decentralize procurement (DCP) system of procurement to maximize procurement, reduce transportation, an increase the reach of MSP operations. Procure quantities above state’s requirements are taken in the Central Pool for distribution elsewhere.

 

§  Stock in Central Pool

Ø  Food-grain Stocking Norms (Buffer Norms) were laid down to meet the prescribed minimum stocking norms for food security, to ensure monthly releases of food-grains for the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), Other Welfare Schemes (OWS), to meet emergencies arising out of unexpected crop failure, natural disasters, festivals, etc., and to use the food-grain stock in the Central Pool for market intervention to augment supply to help moderate the open market prices.

 

National Food Security

Ø  To strengthen the commitment to the food security of the people, the Government of India enacted the National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA), which came into force from 2013. The Act aims to provide for food and nutritional security in human life cycle approach, by ensuring access to adequate quantity of quality food at affordable prices to people to live with dignity. The Act marks a paradigm shift in approach to food security— from welfare to rights-based one.

Ø  The Act provides for coverage of upto 75% of the rural population and upto 50% of the urban population for receiving subsidized food-grains under Targeted Public Distribution System, thus covering about two-thirds of the population. This coverage for receiving highly subsidized foodgrains is under two categories—households covered under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and the remaining households as priority households.

Ø  AAY was launched in 2000 to provide focus on food security to the poorest of the poor and covers 2.5 crore households. Such households are entitled under the Act to receive 35 kg. of food-grains per household per month, at ₹ 1/2/3 per kg. for coarse grains/wheat/rice. Priority households are entitled to receive 5 kg. of food grains per person per month at the above mentioned highly subsidized prices.

Ø  NFSA is now being implemented in all the states/UTs covering about 80.55 crore benefi ciaries, against intended coverage of 81.34 crore people. In Chandigarh, Puducherry and urban areas of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, the Act is being implementein the cash transfer mode under which food subsidy is being transferred into the bank accounts of benefi ciaries who then have a choice to buy foodgrains from open market.

 

End-to-End Computerisation

Ø  Under Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) reforms, the Department in collaboration with all state/UT governments had implemented a Plan scheme on ‘End-to-End Computerisation of TPDS Operations’ to introduce transparency and effi ciency in the TPDS operations all over the country.

Ø  Such reforms became even more relevant after coming into force of National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA). The implementation of the scheme was initiated by the Department under the 12th Five Year Plan and its validity was extended up to March 2020.

 

Integrated Management of PDS (IM-PDS)

Ø  A new central sector scheme– ‘Integrated Management of PDS’ (IM- PDS) is to be implemented during FY 2018-19 and 2019-20 for establishing Public Distribution System Network (PDSN) to inter alia implement national level de-duplication of benefi ciaries and portability. The Scheme will strengthen better targeting of food subsidy and help the benefi ciaries to lift food-grains from the FPSs of their choice.

 

Other welfare schemes

§  Mid- Day Meal scheme 

Ø  It is implemented by the Ministry of Human Resource Development. The Scheme covers students of primary and upper primary classes in the government schools/schools aided by the government and the schools run by local bodies. Food-grains are supplied free of cost at 100 grams for primary stage and at 150 grams for upper primary stage per child per school day where cooked/processed hot meal is being served or 3 kgs per student per month where raw food-grains are distributed.

§  Wheat Base Nutrition Programme 

Ø  This Scheme is implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. The food grains allotted under it are utilized by the states/UTs under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme for providing nutritious/energy food to children in the age group of 0-6 years and expectant/lactating women.

§  Scheme for Adolescent Girls

Ø  The Ministry of Women and Child Development administers the scheme at the central level. However, food-grains for the Scheme are allotted by the Department of Food and Public Distribution at BPL rates to the Ministry of Women and Child Development. ­ The SABLA scheme was launched in 2010 by merging two schemes namely, Nutrition Programme and Adolescent Girls (NPAG) and Kishori Shakti Yojana (KSY) into a single scheme. The Scheme aims at empowering adolescent girls of 11-18 years by the improvement of their nutritional and health status and upgrading various skills useful to them. It also aims at equipping the girls on family welfare, health hygiene, etc., and guiding them on existing public services. The requirement of food-grains for nutrition is at 100 grams of grains per benefi ciary per day for 300 days in a year.

 

§  Supply of Foodgrains to Welfare Institutions 

Ø  To meet the requirement of welfare institutions viz., charitable institutions such as beggar homes, nariniketans, another similar welfare institutions not covered under TPDS or any other welfare schemes, an additional allocation of food-grains (rice and wheat) not exceeding 5% of the BPL allocation is made to states/UTs at BPL prices.

 

§  Annapurna Scheme 

Ø  This Scheme is implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development. Indigent senior citizens of 65 years of age or above who are not getting pension under the National Old Age Pension Scheme (NOAPS), are provide10 kgs of food-grains per person per month free of cost under it. Food-grains are provided by the Department of Food and Public Distribution under the scheme at BPL prices.

 

§  Open Market Sale Scheme (Domestic) 

Ø  In addition to maintaining buffer stocks and for meeting the requirement of the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) an Other Welfare Schemes (OWS), the FCI sells excess stocks of wheat and rice from the Central Pool at pre-determined prices in the open market from time to time under Open Market Sale Scheme (Domestic) through e-tender to enhance the supply especially during the lean season, especially in the defi cit regions.

 

 Storage of food grains

§  Capacity of FCI and State Agencies 

Ø  FCI has its grid of covered godowns in all states to safely stock the central pool food-grains. Besides, it hires capacity from Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) and state agencies like state warehousing corporations as well as private parties.

§  Augmentation of Storage Capacity 

Ø  To cope with increasing production and procurement of food grains, the Department is implementing a private entrepreneurs guarantee (PEG) scheme for augmenting the covered storage capacity in the country. Under the PEG scheme, which was launched in 2008, godowns are constructed in PPP mode and the land and construction cost is borne by the selected partners. Locations for construction of godown are identifi ed by the FCI base on recommendations of state-level committees to cover the gaps in storage.

Ø  A central sector scheme for construction of godowns with a focus on augmenting storage capacity is being implemented in the North-Eastern state. Under it, funds are also provided for the construction of storage godowns to improve the supply chain logistics of PDS.

 

§  Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority

Ø  For the growth and development of warehousing sector, to bring reforms in the agricultural marketing anto increase credit fl ow in the farm sector, the government introduced a negotiable warehouse receipt system in the country by enacting the Warehousing (Development and Regulation) Act, 2007 which is in place since 2010. The government constituted the Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA) in 2010 for the implementation of the provisions of the Act. The Negotiable Warehouse Receipts (NWRs) issued against stocks of farm produces deposited by the farmers in warehouses would help the farmers in seeking a loan from banks. Warehouses need to be registered with the WDRA for issuing NWRs.

 

§  Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) 

Ø  It is a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) set up 1957 under this Department to provide scientifi c storage facilities for agricultural produces, implements, another notifi ed commodities. CWC also has a 100 percent owned subsidiary company namely, Central Rail sided Warehouse Company Limited (CRWC) for the development of Rail side Warehouse Complexes (RWCs).

 

Post-Harvest Management of Food grains

§  Quality Standard for Food grains 

Ø  The government exercises due to control over the quality of food-grains procured for the central pool. The Quality Control Cells of the Ministry at New Delhi and the fi eld offi ces at 10 states monitor the quality of food-grains procured, stored, and issue for distribution by FCI and state governments and their agencies.

§  Indian Grain Storage Management and Research Institute (IGMRI) 

Ø  IGMRI Hapur, an its fi eld stations at Ludhiana (Punjab) an Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh) are engaged in the training and applied Research and Development (R&D) work relating to grain storage management.

 

§  Central Grain Analysis Laboratory (CGAL) 

Ø  CGAL located in New Delhi assists the Department in monitoring the quality of food-grains at the time of procurement, storage, and distribution by analyzing samples collected by quality control offi cers.

 

Export and Import of Food-grains

§  Export Policy of Rice and Wheat

Ø  The Government has allowed free export of non-basmati rice by private parties from privatelyheld stocks from 2011. State Trading Enterprises (STEs) including M/s NCCF and NAFED are also permitted to export privately held stocks on non-basmati rice. y The export of wheat was also allowed from the same year. Export of non-basmati rice and wheat is permitted through Custom EDI ports. Export is also permitted through the non-EDI Land Custom Stations (LCS) on IndoBangladesh and Indo-Nepal Border subject to registration of quantity with DGFT. Export of rice of seed quality another [rice in the husk (paddy or rough) other than seed quality] is permitted under the licence.

 

Sugar

§  Sugar Production

Ø  The sugar industry is an important agro-based industry that impacts the rural livelihood of about 50 million sugarcane farmers and their families and around 5 lakh workers directly employed in sugar mills. India is the second-largest producer of sugar in the world after Brazil and is also the largest consumer.

 

§  Review of Distribution of Sugar to Antyodaya Anna Yojana Families

Ø  The Sugar Subsidy Scheme has been reviewed and it has been decided that it is imperative to give access to consumption of sugar as a source of energy in the diet, for the poorest of the poor section of the society i.e., AAY families. Accordingly, the government has decided that the existing system of sugar distribution through PDS may be continued as per the following:- (i) the existing scheme of supply of subsidized sugar through PDS may be continued for restricted coverage of AAY families only. They will be provide1 kg of sugar per family per month; (ii) the current level of subsidy at ₹18.50 per kg provided by the central government to states/UTs may be continued for the AAY population. The revised scheme was implemented in 2017.

 

§  Ethanol Blending Petrol Programme

Ø  Ethanol is an agro-based product, mainly produced from a by-product of the sugar industry, namely molasses. The Ethanol Blended Petrol Programme (EBP) seeks to achieve a blending of Ethanol with motor sprit to reduce pollution, conserve foreign exchange and increase value addition in the sugar industry enabling them to clear cane price arrears of farmers. The government has also notifi ed new National Policy on Bio-Fuels, 2018 under which sugarcane juice has been allowed for the production of ethanol.

 

§  Sugar Development Fund

Ø  Under the Sugar Cess Act, 1982, a cess was collected as excise duty on all sugar produced and sold by any factory within the country which has now been abolished through Taxation Laws Amendment Act, 2017. The cess so collected provided funds for Sugar Development Fund (SDF) through the budgetary process.

 

Edible Oils

Ø  The Department of Food and Public Distribution deals with issues related to edible oils and fats. The Directorate of Sugar and Vegetable Oils is staffed with qualifi ed technical people who assist the Ministry in the coordinated management of Vegetable Oils Policy, particularly relating to production/ availability and monitoring of prices.

 

SAARC Food Bank

Ø  In pursuance of the decision taken in the 14th SAARC Summit held in New Delhi in 2007, the Heads of States of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries signed the agreement to establish the SAARC Food Bank. As per this agreement, SAARC Food Bank is to have a reserve of foodgrains to be maintained by each member states consisting of either wheat or rice, or a combination of both as an assessed share of the country.

Ø  Food and Agricultural Organisation and Committee on World Food Security Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) is one of the largest specialized agencies in the UN System founded in 1945 with a mandate to raise levels of nutrition and standard of living by improving agricultural productivity anliving conditions of the rural population.

Ø  The Committee on World Food Security (CFS) serves as a forum in the United Nations System for review and follow-up of policies concerning world food security, including food production, physical and economic access to food.

Ø  India is a member of both FAO and CFS. Committee on World Food Security (CFS) monitors the progress of implementation of the WFS Plan of Action.

 

Food Processing Industries

Ø  The Ministry of Food Processing Industries was set up in July 1988 to give an impetus to the development of the food processing sector in the country. Later this Ministry was made a Department and brought under the Ministry of Agriculture. It was again made a ministry in 2001 and named the Ministry of Food Processing Industries. The Ministry is concerned with the formulation and implementation of the policies for the food processing industries within the overall national priorities and objectives.

Ø  India ranks number one in the world in the production of milk, ghee, ginger, bananas, guavas, papayas, and mangoes. Further, India ranks second in the world in the production of rice, wheat, and several other vegetables and fruits.

Ø  The food processing industry is one of the major employment intensive segments constituting 12.77% of employment generated in all registered factory sectors in 2014-15.

Ø  Cent percent FDI is permitted under the automatic route in food processing industries manufacturing sector. FDI is allowed through the approval route for trading, including through e-commerce in respect of food products manufactured and/or produced in India.

Ø  The food processing sector has been identifi ed as one of the priority sectors under ‘Make in India’.

Ø  According to the Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) data for 2014-15, the total number of persons engaged in registered food processing sector was 17.73 lakhs.

 

Contribution of the Food Processing Sector

Ø  Over the years agricultural production in India has consistently recorded higher output. India ranks number one in the world in the production of milk, ghee, ginger, bananas, guavas, papayas and mangoes. Further, India ranks second in the world in the production of rice, wheat and several other vegetables and fruits.

Ø  Abundant supply of raw materials, increase in demand for food products and incentives offered by the government has impacted food processing sector positively.

 

FDI in Food Processing Sector

Ø  Hundred per cent FDI is permitted under automatic route in food including through industries through government approval route, for trading including through e-commerce, in respect of food products manufactured or produced in India.

 

Food Processing and Make in India

Ø  Food processing sector has been identifi ed as one of the priority sector under ‘Make in India’. With a view to attract investment to this sector, Ministry of Food Processing Industries has been implementing schemes for development of infrastructure for promoting food processing industries.

Ø  Also, the ministry has been disseminating information to potential investors to attract investment to the sector through dedicated Investor Portal in which a range of information like resource base, availability of land, state specifi cs policies, fi scal incentives, etc., are shared with the potential investors. The Ministry is also collaborating with Invest India to help the investors in terms of locating joint venture partners, extending hand holding services, expediting regulatory approvals and providing investors with after care services. The Ministry is also organizing mega international events like World Food India and Road Shows.

 

Food Parks and Cold Chain

Ø  A dedicated investors’ portal called ‘Nivesh Bandhu’ was launched in 2017 to and assist potential investors in the food processing sector in taking an informed decisions. This portal is a ‘one- stop information source’ on central and state government policies, incentives offered, Agri Resources, and infrastructure facilities across the country.

Ø  An investor-friendly Mobile APP- ‘Nivesh Bandhu’ was developed and launched to enable the investor to have access to relevant information very conveniently and from any destination from their mobile proving to be game-changers for the investors in making informed investment decisions.

 

Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY)

Ø  PMKSY is a comprehensive package resulting in the creation of modern infrastructure with effi cient supply chain management from farm gate to retail outlet. Not only has it provided a big boost to the growth of the food processing sector in the country but also helps in providing better returns to farmers and is a big step towards doubling farmers’ income, creating huge employment opportunities. Especially in rural areas, reducing wastage of agricultural produce, increasing the level of processing, and enhancing the export of processed foods.

Ø  The following schemes are implemented under PM Kisan Sampada Yojana: (i) mega food parks (ii) integrated cold chain and value addition infrastructure (iii) creation/expansion of food processing and preservation capacities (unit scheme) (iv) infrastructure for agro-processing clusters (v) creation of backward and forward linkages (vi) food safety and quality assurance infrastructure (vii) human resources and institutions.

 

Mega Food Parks Scheme

Ø  It is being implemented since 2008, aims to create a modern food processing infrastructure for the processing units based on a cluster approach and hub and spoke model in a demand driven manner. The scheme intends to facilitate the establishment of an integrated value chain, with food processing at the core and supported by requisite

Ø  forward and backward linkages. The central processing centre is networked with the primary processing centres and collection centres located at the farm gate in production areas. The Scheme envisages a well-defi ned agri/horticultural processing zone containing state-of-the-art processing facilities with support infrastructure and well-established supply chain.

 

Scheme of Operation Greens

Ø  MoFPI launched a new central sector scheme “Operation Greens—A scheme for integrated development of Tomato, Onion, and Potato”. Major objectives of Scheme include: (i) enhancing value realization of tomato, onion, and potato (TOP) farmers by targeted interventions to strengthen TOP production clusters and their FPOs, and linking/ connecting them with the market.; (ii) price stabilization for producers and consumers by proper production planning in the TOP clusters and introduction of dualuse varieties through convergence with the scheme implemented by Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) and state governments.; (iii) increase in food processing capacities and value addition in the value chain by creating fi rm linkages with production clusters, etc.

 

National Mission on Food Processing

Ø  The Ministry launched a Centrally Sponsored Scheme—National Mission on Food Processing (NMFP) during the 12th Plan in 2012. Five on going central sector schemes of the 11th Plan and four new schemes were merged in the Mission.

Ø  The CSS-NMFP was implemented through states/UTs. However, the CSS-NMFP was de-linked from the central support in 2015 according to the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission. Consequently, all nine schemes of the Mission stand discontinued.

Ø  Government of India approved a new central sector scheme - Kisan Sampada Yojana - (Scheme for Agro-Marine Processing and Development of Agro-Processing Clusters) in 2017 with an outlay of ₹ 6,000 crores for the perio2016- 20 coterminous with the 14th Finance Commission cycle. It is a comprehensive package that will result in the creation of modern

Ø  infrastructure with effi cient supply chain management from farm gate to retail outlet.

 

National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship, and Management (NIFTEM)

Ø  The Ministry established the NIFTEM at Kundli, in Haryana in May 2012. NIFTEM has been declared a Deemed University under the de novo category. Under the Scheme, funds are to be provided to the Institute for the creation of academic and administrative infrastructure. Funds will also be provided to promote research activities, expand Village Adoption Programme (VAP), and skill development in the food processing sector.

 

Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology (IIFPT)

Ø  The Ministry upgrade IIFPT, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu to a national level institute in 2008. Under the scheme, funds are to be provided to the Institute for the creation of infrastructure facilities including the purchase of additional land for expanding campus and creation of academic and administrative infrastructure. To enable the Institute to expand its activities, the North East States will include Sikkim and diffi cult areas.

 

 

 

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