DW BUREAU / chandigarh Union Food Processing Industries Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Monday launched the PM formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PM FME) scheme which will generate an investment of Rs 35,000 crore and provide employment to nine lakh skilled and semi-skilled workers besides giving information and training exposure to eight lakh units across the country.The PM FME scheme, which was launched by Harsimrat Kaur Badal as part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, will cover two lakh enterprises in five years and an outlay of Rs 10,000 crore has been fixed for the same. It will cover 6,700 units in Punjab. The expenditure under the scheme would to be shared in 60:40 ratio between Central and State Governments. The scheme was announced at a virtual conference addressed by the minister along with MoFP minister of state Rameshwar Teli. Giving details, Harsimrat Badal said the scheme involved adopting One District One Product (ODOP) approach to reap benefit of scale in terms of procurement of inputs, availing common services and marketing of products. "The States will identify a food product for a district keeping in view the existing clusters and availability of raw material. The ODOP product could be a perishable produce based product or cereal based product or a food product widely produced in a district and their allied sectors." She said existing individual micro food processing units desirous of upgradation of their unit could avail credit-linked capital subsidy of 35 per cent of the eligible project cost with a maximum ceiling of Rs.10 lakh per unit. She said seed capital and credit linked grant for capital investment as well as common infrastructure would also be provided to the units. The Union minister said the scheme placed special focus on capacity building and research. She said NIFTEM and IIFPT, two academic and research institutions under MOFPI along with State Level Technical Institutions selected by the States, would be provided support for training of units, product development, appropriate packaging and machinery for micro units. The union minister also announced extension of Operation Greens from TOP (Tomato-Onion-Potato) crops to all perishable fruits and vegetables. She said the objective of intervention was to protect the growers of fruits and vegetables from making distress sale due to lockdown and reduce post-harvest losses. Badal also informed that MoFPI was also planning to start free online skilling classes for SC and ST entrepreneurs, in collaboration with NIFTEM and FICSI, for providing e-learning. "MoFPI has identified 41 courses and job roles like on baking, making jam and pickles for which access to digital content would be made available. Once certified, these entrepreneurs would have better employment potential, or they can start their own venture." (editor@dailyworld.in)