Chandigarh, An empowered committee on logistics and supply chain has been set up and several steps been taken to ensure smooth movement of goods, besides resolving problems faced by the food processing industry.

While interacting with major industry associations through video link on Sunday, Union Food Processing Industries Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal discussed interventions required by the government to revive the food processing sector after the lockdown.

Senior officials of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries also spoke about measures taken by the central and state governments to ease the business environment.

According to an official statement, the empowered committee is taking up grievances for redressal, even as steps had been taken to issue only one document for rail movement besides following up with district officials on a daily basis to ensure easy movement of foodstuff.

She said more exemptions had been issued, like movement of agriculture machinery, truck repairs, milk collection, mandis operated by the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC), and intra and inter-state movement of harvester combines.

The grievance cell, set up to resolve the micro issues faced by the industry, to facilitate supply chain and logistics management for availability of food and medicines, has resolved 50 per cent of 348 queries received.

The industry representatives while giving suggestions to streamline food processing units, said encouragement to labour to return to work was needed. They also urged special trains for goods as well as labour.

They also sought GST waiver for three months to allow breathing space to the industry.