 "Centre to give Rs 32 cr to Assam, MP to set up export infra")
"We will release Rs 32 crore to Assam and Madhya Pradesh under the ASIDE scheme shortly," a Commerce Ministry official said.
While Assam plans to expand its inland container depot for tea exports and set up food processing facilities, Madhya Pradesh plans to establish a convention centre and laboratory for giving a thrust to exports, the official said.
The Centre has already released an amount of Rs 174 crore to 17 states including Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Sikkim and Meghalaya, under the ASIDE scheme in the current fiscal.
The total budgetary allocation for the scheme in 2013-14 has been fixed at Rs 800 crore, same as the previous fiscal.
Under the ASIDE scheme, 50% of the allocation shall be released in the first quarter of a financial year. The balance amount shall be released based on utilisation of funds and adherence of the State or Union Territory to the guidelines of the scheme.
States are advised to take up projects for utilising full amount in the beginning of the year and identify such projects in advance.
The project size should be such that tangible infrastructural projects are taken up. The contribution of ASIDE scheme towards these will be a minimum of Rs 10 crore for large or medium states and Rs 5 crore for small and north-eastern states, including Sikkim.
The list of projects is drawn in consultation with Export Promotion Councils (EPCs) and other export promotion bodies.
Under the scheme, funds for the approved projects may be sanctioned to Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and other agencies of Central or state governments, Export Promotion Councils and Commodity Boards, Apex Trade bodies recognised under the EXIM policy of the government and individual production units dedicated to exports.