The Inter-Ministerial Approval Committee (IMAC) chaired by Union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal has approved 27 new projects under the scheme for integrated cold chain and value addition infrastructure of Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY).

These 27 new integrated cold chain projects worth ₹743 crore will be set up for creation of cold chain facilities for the food processing sector in the country. “These projects with a grant-in-aid of ₹208 crore will help increase efficiency and sustainability in India’s food supply chain,” an official statement said. The projects have been approved across Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. Badal said that saving the perishable produce, by provisioning adequate infrastructure, shall not only help in augmenting farmer’s incomes but it shall also act as a small step towards making India Atmanirbhar in the fruits and vegetables sector. She said that these Integrated Cold Chain projects will provide a big boost to the growth of food processing infrastructure and direct and indirect employment opportunities in rural areas.

Under the scheme, the Food Processing Ministry provides assistance in the form of grant-in-aid at the rate of 35 per cent for general areas and the rate of 50 per cent for North-Eastern States, Himalayan States, ITDP Areas, and Islands. The assistance at 50 per cent and 75 per cent respectively are also given for value addition and processing infrastructure subject to a maximum grant-in-aid of ₹10 crore per project.

As many as 85 cold chain projects have been considered for financial assistance throughout the country. The meetings of the Inter-Ministerial Approval Committee (IMAC) to sanction the 27 new projects were held in August.

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