JAMMU: Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Atal Dulloo reviewed the progress of the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of the Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PM-FME) scheme in Jammu & Kashmir, in a meeting held at the Civil Secretariat here today.
The centrally sponsored PM FME scheme aims at providing financial, technical, and business support for the upgradation of existing micro food processing enterprises.
A PowerPoint presentation was given to the ACS in which the role of the scheme, respective capacity-building measures, subsidies, use of common infrastructure and Common Incubation Centres, etc were reviewed. He presented the action taken report and project implementation plan by senior officers at the meeting.
It was informed that the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MOFPI) has sanctioned 3 Common Incubation Centres; for milk and its products in Narwal Jammu, for fish in Achabal Anantnag, and at Doabgah Sopore for apples.
An indicative list of promotional activities planned by the departments was also shared with the ACS. It was informed that District Resource Persons (DRPs) have been appointed and their online training has been completed. The ACS asked the officers to ensure timely completion and compliance with training programmes.
The ACS instructed the officers to take substantial steps in the implementation of the scheme whose physical and financial progress would be assessed by him.
The ACS expressed displeasure upon unwanted delay and dereliction in approving loans of some candidates. The bank officials were given strict instructions in this regard and were also asked to submit a detailed summary of rejected and pending cases along with plausible reasons. Similarly, the District Nodal Officers were also asked to analyze the causes of rejection and a small number of registrations.
The ACS said that the number of registrations and sanctioning of cases under the scheme needs to be ramped up for its successful implementation. He also suggested that DCs hold regular meetings to solve issues pertaining to Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP) and One District One Product (ODOP) initiative.
The ACS directed officers to start preparing DPRs etc for new proposed Common Infrastructures. Conclusions were drawn on CIC at Samba for spices and pickles, and another at Chadoora which would be dedicated to dairy products. The officers were told to go ahead with tendering process in this regard.
Non-performing DRPs be replaced and vacant positions of DRPs be filled immediately, the ACS directed. DRPs must ensure that they encourage people’s participation in this scheme, he maintained.
The meeting was attended by Director Horticulture Planning & Marketing Vishesh Paul Mahajan; Director Horticulture Jammu, Ram Savak; Director Agriculture Jammu, KK Sharma; Managing Director, J&K Agro Development Corporation, Arun Manhas among District Nodal Officers and others. Officers from the Kashmir division and all districts participated through video conference.
