After a long gap, people of Murshidabad (West Bengal) witnesses the promise made by the Centre during the UPA government in 2008 being kept by the NDA government in 2016. Jangipur Mega Food Park in Murshidabad was allotted in year 2008 to benefit poor farmers and people of North 24 Paragans, Birbhum, Malda, and Bardwan but the project could not see the light of the day till 2016.It was a result ofthe genuine efforts made by the Minister of Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal to ensure that revival of Jangipur Mega Food Park takes place so that gigantic critical food processing infrastructure is made available to thepoor farmers of this backward belt of West Bengal that Jangipur Mega Food Park could see the light of the day.The President Shri Pranab Mukherjee has inaugurated this food park today in the presence of Governor of West Bengal Shri Keshari Nath Tripathi.
“The Mega Food Park to leverage an additional investment of about Rs. 250 crore in food processing units in the Park, generate a turnover of about Rs. 500 Crore annually and is expected to provide direct and indirect employment to 6000 people at CPC & PPCs and benefit about 25000-30000 farmers in thecatchment areas.” said Mrs. Harsimrat Kaur Badal.
Speaking on the occasion, Mrs. Badal said that connecting farmers with food processing infrastructure and creating markets are her primary goals so that farmers get remunerative price of their produce. This modern infrastructure will benefit farmers and growers of North 24 Paragans, Birbhum, Malda, and Bardwan and benefit processors and consumers besides giving big boost to the growth of the food processing sector in West Bengal. She added that this mega food park has been set up with the project cost of Rs. 132.71 crore approximately and in an area of 82.11 acre with a grant of Rs. 50.00 crore provided by food processing ministry.
Mrs. Badal further said under the visionary guidance of Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi, Ministry of Food Processing Industries is focusing on boosting the food processing industry so that agriculture sector grows exponentially and becomes a major contributor towards doubling the farmer’s income and therefore food processing is the major thrust area of Make in India initiative.Union minister said the India is a most resilient food economy as a result of which India is going to become the Food Factory of the World by 2022 and our government has put food processing infrastructure on an automatic seamless growth mode. She further added that ‘Time is not far when India shall witness its 6 lakh villages connected with Mega Food Park Processing Units.Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries, Mr Abdur Razzak Molla, Minister for Department of Food Processing Industries & Horticulture, West Bengal, Mr Jakir Hossain, Minister of State, Department of Labour, West Bengal, Mr Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, MP from Behramporeand, Mr Abhijeet Mukherjee, MP from Jangipur were also present on the occasion.