Union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Friday asked Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh to instruct officials to issue statutory permissions for two cold chain projects sanctioned for Punjab which have been inordinately delayed.
Harsimrat, in a letter to the Chief Minister in this context, said that both cold chain projects had the potential to generate thousands of direct and indirect jobs for youth and ensure enhanced prices to farmers.
“The apathy of State Government functionaries in not granting the required statutory permissions on time is a cause of concern as delaying the projects deprives the farmers and youth of the benefits that they are likely to get as a result of early operationalisation of these projects,” she said.
Harsimrat said that the Ministry of Food Processing Industries had sanctioned two cold chain projects in Punjab in April 2017. She said that these projects — EBI Cremica Industries Private Limited, Jalandhar, and Asianlak Health Foods Private Limited, Ludhiana — were required to submit claim for release of first instalment grant along with all statutory clearances within eight months from the date of issue of approval.
She said that this deadline had already expired in December 2017. While Cremica Industries has not been granted change of land use (CLU), Asianlak Health Foods has applied for consent from Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB).
Asking the Chief Minister to expedite the needed approvals, Harsimrat said that both projects would go a long way in uplifting the economic condition of farmers by adding value to their produce as well as creating much needed jobs for youth.