Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and Food Minister unveiled Ulkia Village Food Park

Tags: State News

With the joint efforts of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Food Minister Amarjeet Bhagat, the first food park was inaugurated on 27 September 2023 in village Ulkiya of Sitapur development block of Surguja (Ambikapur) district.

An Overview of the News

• To ensure the success of the food park, adequate arrangements have been made for essential facilities like electricity, water supply and transportation.

• The state government has allocated Rs 6 crore 27 lakh for the establishment of this new food park.

• District Collector Kundan Kumar confirmed that the ownership of 8.920 hectare area for the food park project has been transferred from District Trade and Industry Center Surguja to CSIDC (Chhattisgarh State Industrial Development Corporation).

• The proposed food park will offer around 60 plots of various sizes including 3000, 5000, 7500 and 10000 square feet exclusively for setting up micro and small scale industries. These industries are expected to contribute to government revenue through various taxes.

• The establishment of this new food park is expected to provide many benefits to the local community including job creation, economic growth and improved infrastructure.

Food Park:

• Food parks are special industrial areas built specifically for food processing businesses.

• These parks provide shared infrastructure and facilities to food processing units, including:

  • Cold Storage: A facility for preserving and storing food products at low temperatures.

  • Cold Chain: A system for maintaining cold storage and transporting perishable goods.

  • Waste treatment plant: A facility for the treatment and management of waste generated by food processing.

  • Storage: Storage space for raw materials and finished products.

  • Power Connection: Reliable power supply for processing operations.

  • Water Facilities: Adequate water supply for various processing requirements.

  • Sewerage: A system for managing waste water.

• Food parks are particularly beneficial to small and medium-sized food processing businesses as these facilities can be expensive to set up individually.

• By providing the necessary infrastructure, food parks help reduce wastage in the food processing industry.

• The types of processing units installed within a mega food park often depend on the availability of raw materials and the location of the park.