RAYAGADA: MITS Mega Food Park would open the doors of economic development for the tribals of Rayagada as well as Odisha, said Union Minister of Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal at the inaugural function of the park on Thursday. Besides providing employment opportunities, the project that has been commissioned in the backward and Naxal prone KBK region will ensure marketability of the products grown in the area, she added.
Taking exception to the absence of the State ministers, Badal called upon the people to choose a leader who will stand by them in their thick and thin. Union Minister of State for Food Processing and Industries Sadhvi Niranjan Jyothi said though the farmers of the region produce mangoes, pineapple, ginger, turmeric, tomatoes, tamarind and forest products in ample quantity, they have to go for distress sale for lack of market facilities. Now, the Mega Food Park will provide them the window to sell their produce with good margin of profit.
The food park will also open new vistas for the investors under the Make In India while the farmers will get recognition at the national and international level, said Sadhvi.
Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan said though the project was sanctioned in 2011, it did not make any progress till 2014 because of apathetic attitude of UPA Government and BJD Government of the State. Under the initiative of Prime Minster Narendra Modi, the Mega Food Park has been completed in three years, he added. Chairman of the project Balkrushna Panda also spoke.
Among others, Managing Director of the project Sriram Panda, Rayagada Collector Guha Punam Tapas Kumar, Special Secretary MSME of State SM Nayak, Economic Advisor of the Central Government Rajib Mishra and other officials were present.
Breach of protocol, alleges BJD
Bubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s absence at the inauguration of the Mega Food Park at Rayagada district has triggered a row with the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) alleging breach of protocol. BJD spokesman Samir Ranjan Dash alleged that in a federal set-up, chief minister is the head of the State and the chief guest of any Government programme. Unfortunately, nobody bothered to take his consent for the inauguration of the food park in Rayagada district, Dash said and added that this is violation of protocol. The Chief Secretary will apprise Centre of the matter soon, Dash said. Fixing the date of inauguration and informing the Chief Minister’s office about it is not proper, he said.