New -delhi: As many as 27 states -except Western -Bengal -have received central approval to set up PM Ekta shopping centers for the display and selling of indigenous products under the ‘One District, One Product’ (ODOP) initiative. The Union government cleared projects worth nearly £ 4,796 in the financial year 2023-24 under the scheme. The Premier Ekta Mall scheme, which was announced in the Union budget 2023-24, aims to provide dedicated retail space for each state and trade union area to promote Odop items, geographical indication (GI) worked goods and local crafts. The scheme is implemented under part-VI of the special assistance to the Capital Investment (SASCI states framework (SASCI) by the Ministry of Finance. Jitin Prasada, Minister of State of Trade and Industry, notified the Lok Sabha in a written answer that the Department of Expenditure, on the recommendation of the Department of Promotion of Industrial and Internal Trade), approved detailed project reports (DPRs) of 27 states for the construction of Premier Ekta malls. According to the information provided by the Minister on Tuesday, Sabha, the highest award went to Uttar Pradesh, which was allowed to set up three Ekta malls – one in Agra, Lucknow and Varanasi – who received £ 370.25, given the size of the state and diversity of local crafts. Madhya Pradesh follows with a £ 284 crore award for a mall in Ujjain, while Assam £ 226 was approved for the project in Guwahati. Tamil Nadu and Bihar also received significant support, with £ 223 crore and £ 212.69 respectively to build Ekta malls in Chennai and Patna. Other prominent states include Gujarat and Telangana, each £ 202 crore, and Maharashtra, who received £ 195.14 for Navi Mumbai Mall. Under the SASCI guidelines, states had to submit detailed project reports, with allocations made on a first-class, first ministry base. The government earmarked a total of £ 5,000 for the scheme. States are expected to provide land for the malls or bear the acquisition costs. “The initiative is designed to create visibility at retail level for the traditional and regional products of India, providing artisans and producers with a permanent marketing platform on prime urban locations,” Prasada said in a written response to the Lok Sabha. “All states are encouraged to establish Premier Ekta Mall (Unity Mall), which was announced in the Union budget 2023-24 for the promotion and sale of Odop, GI products and other crafts from all over the country,” the minister said. The malls should preferably be located in head of state, or in financial or tourism hubs in cases where it offers better visibility. While 27 states have received approvals and funding, states/UTs that have not yet started or secured or secured a central cleanup for their Ekta Mall projects, Western Bengals, Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir, Chandigarh, Ladakh, Andaman and Nicobar -Image, Lakshadweep and Puducherry. The initiative is expected to increase the sale of Odop and GI products and provide greater market access to artisans, weavers and small producers, which correspond to the wider goal of promoting local entrepreneurship and confidence.
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