New Delhi: Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on 31 July approved a total outlay of Rs 6,520 crore for the continuation and expansion of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) during the 15th Finance Commission cycle (2021-22 to 2025-26).
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted the inclusivity aspect of the expansion and said: “The particular focus will be given to the hill areas, specifically North East region states and SC/ST majority areas.”
The approval by the Cabinet includes an additional allocation of Rs 1,920 crore to strengthen key infrastructure in the food processing sector.
As part of this enhanced allocation, Rs 1,000 crore has been reserved to support the establishment of 50 Multi-Product Food Irradiation Units under the Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure (ICCVAI) scheme.
Furthermore, 100 NABL-accredited Food Testing Laboratories (FTLs) will be set up under the Food Safety and Quality Assurance Infrastructure (FSQAI) component.
An additional Rs 920 crore has been approved to sanction projects across other PMKSY component schemes.
The new irradiation units are expected to contribute a combined preservation capacity of 20 to 30 lakh metric tonnes per annum, depending on the food types processed.
The food testing labs, to be established primarily through private sector participation, aim to improve food safety compliance and ensure the supply of quality food products
Both ICCVAI and FSQAI are demand-driven components and the government will issue Expressions of Interest (EOIs) to invite proposals from eligible entities. Projects will be selected after thorough evaluation based on the scheme guidelines.
