Bihar to offer 40% subsidy for women entrepreneurs in food sector

In the past four years, Bihar got nearly 60 per cent of the proposed investment in the food processing sector.

 “So far, we have seen actual investment of Rs 1,334 crore of the projected Rs 2,258 crore to set up 177 food processing units. Of the total, 93 units are operational,” Naveen Verma, Principal Secretary, Department of Industries, Bihar, said here on Friday.

He was speaking at a roadshow jointly organised by the State and the Indian Chamber of Commerce to promote food processing industry in Bihar .

Subsidy offer

The State has decided to offer 40 per cent subsidy to women entrepreneurs for investments in the food processing industry. “If a woman is setting up a food processing unit, she will get 40 per cent subsidy on capital investment. It has to be ensured that the project is registered in her name,” Verma added.

Inviting investments from industries based in Bengal, Verma said while all investors would get 35 per cent subsidy for setting up food processing business, the Government would not collect any stamp duty for purchasing land for such industries. He pointed out that the country’s first Jute Park, coming up in Purnia district, holds a lot of investment opportunities.

He, however, suggested that the investors should buy land directly from farmers and the State government would help them with all the administrative procedures. According to him, availability of land is an issue in some cases as Bihar’s share of land reduced substantially in relation to its population ever since the formation of Jharkhand.

  ayan.pramanik@thehindu.co.in

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