Four model salt farms have been set up in Gujarat by Central Salt and Marine Chemical Research Institute (CSMCRI) with the help of NGOs and the State Government.

The Central Government received a request from the Government of Gujarat in February, 2012 suggesting Central Government funding for various activities related to salt industry and workers including model salt farms. In the absence of any concrete and specific proposal, no decision could be taken. The State Government has been informed.

The Central Government has sanctioned three model salt farms at Nawa in Rajasthan, Ganjam in Odisha and Markanam in Tamil Nadu, in collaboration with the CSMCRI and respective State Governments. For such projects, one-third financial assistance is given by the Central Government and the remaining amount is to be shared by the respective State Government and CSMCRI. In respect of model salt farm in Markanam in Tamil Nadu, two-third of the cost is being borne by the Salt Commissioner’s Organisation (SCO) and the remaining one-third of the cost by CSMCRI.

The information was given by the Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Commerce & Industry Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman in Rajya Sabha today.

Central funding for model salt farms conditional on concrete proposals; cost sharing set among central, state and research bodies. Central assistance for model salt farms is provided through collaborative projects involving CSMCRI, state governments and NGOs, conditional on submission of concrete project proposals. Sanctioned projects are financed under a shared cost framework whereby central contributions are complemented by funding from state governments and CSMCRI, with alternative agreed allocations for specific sites; lack of a concrete proposal resulted in non decision on a funding request and the State was informed.