MoFPI's Grievance Cell Resolves 581 out of 585 Industry Issues Regarding COVID-19

The grievance cell of Ministry of Food Processing Industries has been able to close and resolve 581 issues out of 585 received, with proactive approach and timely redressal. The task force has been taking up these issues with the respective state governments and other relevant authorities including Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Home Affairs. The task force have also been in constant touch with leading industry associations and food processors across states to address any issues / challenges faced by food and allied industry so that it can run at maximum capacities. Grievances or any problems faced by Food Processing Sector, in either disruption of production or supply chain, during nationwide Covid-19 lockdown can be mailed at covidgrievance-mofpi@gov.in.

A dedicated task force and a grievance cell was set up in the Ministry, which consisted of senior officials of the Ministry and members of Invest India. Industry could reach out to the grievance cell directly or through various industry associations. The major issues which were received at the grievance cell included issues related to

1. Plant shutdowns due to lockdown
2. Logistics related issues, warehouse shutdown
3. Non availability of labour
4. Movement of staff and workers

Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Union Minister of Food Processing Industries has chaired a series of video conferences with the industry associations, cold chain developers, exporters etc. on a regular basis for monitoring the situation at ground level.

The Ministry received various issues during VC interactions with cold chain promoters, on which the task force has promptly reacted and have taken up the issues with all the relevant stakeholders. Various steps were taken keeping in mind the necessities of food and allied industry to recoup with the new normalcy.

MoFPI is also a member of the Empowered Committee on Logistics and Supplies, and has been working to ensure that harvested agriculture produce can be supplied to the industry so that farmers are benefitted. Ministry of Food Processing Industries has taken several measures to ensure that the Food Processing Industry has been impacted minimally due to the Covid-19 crisis.