Port Blair, Nov 16: A special session of interaction programme organized by Unnati at Chouldari with the support of NABARD for the trainees of Food Processing by involving official of Industry Department and Pollution Control Committee on 15.11.2022 at 10:30 AM considering the problems of Food Processing of more than 1500 trainees already trained by Unnati with the support of ENI-India, RGF, ATMA and NABARD from the 03 Districts of A&N Islands. At the outset at one hand Mr. Janak Rao Nodal Officer Food Processing Industry Department explained various concessions being extended by the Industry Department for setting-up Food Processing units and he further said that Unnati is working in the field of Food Processing associating Industry Department since last 20 years and also conducted various training programmes in the remotest part of the Islands including Nancowry group of Islands, Diglipur etc. and on the other hand Mr. Raj Babu Technician A & N Pollution Control Committee narrated that the clearance of pollution is mandatory before starting any Food Processing units for which the entrepreneurs will have to submit 11 documents for pollution clearance. The problems raised by the trainees are in obtaining food license, various clearances including pollution clearance, arrangement of packing materials and preservatives, assured marketing outlet, adequate 02 separate spaces required for preparing veg and non-veg Food Processing items etc. After hearing both sides i.e. Industry Department and Pollution Control Committee, the trainees became upset and expressed that unless after-support of training are assured, they would not be in a position to adopt Food Processing as a self employment venture easily. Mr. C. Mohammed President Unnati assured that the needful could be done after taking necessary follow-up action. He further mentioned that Unnati has already taken up the issues on the demand of the trainees which are as under:-
1. Arrangement of Preservatives, Packing Materials and Other Concessions: This issue was taken with the Chief Secretary and the Chief Secretary in a meeting on 08-07-2011 decided to extend the facilities to Food Processing entrepreneurs but when no action was taken by the Department, the matter was brought to the notice of the Lt. Governor who directed Secretary (Ind)to take immediate action accordingly Secretary (Ind) convened a meeting on 18-01-2017 and initiated necessary action and decided to extend the facilities but thereafter no further action was taken by the Industry Department.
2. Various Clearances for Obtaining License: The Single Window System for obtaining various clearances to set-up industrial units needs to be arranged by the Industry Department for which Single Window System was set-up in the year 2000 by the Department.
3. Marketing Support: For providing marketing support to women groups a marketing outlet was set-up by the Administration/ Directorate Of Social Welfare at Goalghar on the representation of women groups under plan schemes of Directorate of Social Welfare which need to be started besides SHGs may be permitted to display their products at Sagarika Emporium of Industry Department at concessional rate.
4. Setting-up Common Production Centre: The Food Processing trainees/ entrepreneurs particularly from weaker section may not set-up Food Processing units at their own considering the requirements to be fulfilled to obtain license and construction of 02 separate rooms for preparation of veg and non-veg items/ marine and coconut based products may not be able to afford by entrepreneurs/ trainees. Earlier, these groups used to utilize the infrastructures of Unnati’s Food Processing training center at Industrial Estate Dollygunj which was closed due to some disputes between the Industry Department and Unnati. Now either the Industry Department or Panchayat may create necessary production centers with the provisions of all Food Processing machines and equipment to be used by the trainees at commercial scale.
Mrs. TapasiSaha Pradhan Chouldari Gram Panchayat in her address thanked NABARD and Unnati for arranging such excellent Food Processing training programme and also demanded to start another training programme for which a number of women are pressing for undergoing training seeing the quality of training being imparted.
