North East News Agency

GOVERNMENT of India has decided to give top priority for development of food processing industries in the North-Eastern region for which there is high potential.This was stated by Planning Commission officials at the Sectoral Meeting of NEC held at Shillong to make Vision Document for 2020.

There are various schemes of the Central Government available  for food processing with 90% Central assistance which the North-Eastern states can avail of, such as in ginger processing and other spices, they revealed.

Speaking on the occasion, officials from NABARD stressed   on development of organic farming methods, good transportation system for better connectivity, export facilities and on capacity building and integrated approach  by 2020. Schemes of NABARD include Rural Entrepreneurship Development Programmed (REDP), formation of self help groups, rural hubs, IT, skill and cluster development.

SBI officials narrated schemes like aid to self help groups, supply of Kisan Credit Cards, giving agricultural inputs etc., while RBI officials emphasized on need to open more bank branches in NE, improve cooperative banks, methods of institutional financing and measures to improve credit deposit ratio.

Participants from the North -Eastern States, such as Arunachal Pradesh, stressed on development of infrastructure and human resource, extension of the transport subsidy scheme beyond 2007,  better banking facilities for agro based industries and more direct investment.

Meghalaya has been benefited by the Industrial Policy for NE announced by the Govt. of India for setting up mineral based industries through subsidies and incentives. There is vast scope for development of horticulture and food processing units dealing with medicinal plants, floriculture, fruits and spices by 2020, officials said, and also trade with neighbouring countries, for which an improvement in the    power scenario, law and order and efforts to facilitate land acquisition will be necessary.

Nagaland too aims to set up more food processing units by 2020, and called for aid from NABARD and other private institutions. Officials called for giving more incentives to farmers and better training facilities to entrepreneurs.

Dr. (Smt.) I.K. Barthakur, Member, NEC as chairperson, called for developing the rural sector and improving the power generation for setting up industries. She said that the government has given various incentives for industrial growth in the region, but cited reasons such as poor infrastructure, law and  order situation, long    transportation system of raw materials and low  skill of the people which serves as deterrents to investors, which leads to low productivity and loss in manpower.

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