MANGALDAI, Feb 29 - A number of new projects by the Congress-led state government were launched in different locations under Mangaldai and Dalgaon LACs in Darrang district today.
Much to the relief of the marginal farmers and vegetable growers of the two LACs, who very often failed to get due prices of their agricultural produce for the lack of scientific storage facility, foundation of a proposed �cold storage� was laid at Kharupetia bringing a ray of hope for thousands of poor farmers. The cold storage, to be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 25 crore, has materialised as per the assurance made by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi while addressing a largely-attended public meeting at village Baruajhar in Dalgaon a few months back.
The Assam State Agriculture Marketing Board (ASAMB) has taken up the initiative for construction of the said project with 90% funding from NABARD and 10% funding from the State Agriculture department. As stated by a senior official of the ASAMB, the 5000 metric ton capacity cold storage facility would have one freezer room with two chambers to store frozen food products, milk and dairy products and food pulp at -20 degree Celsius temperature with capacity of 550 metric ton and one chiller room with seven chambers to store potatoes, tomatoes, fruits and vegetables at +2 degree Celsius temperature with the same capacity.
�The salient objective of this state-of- the-art project is to create a scientific temperature-controlled storage capacity with allied facilities near farm areas to meet the requirements of the farmers for storing produces, to reduce post harvest loss and wastage of perishable horticultural crops, to avoid seasonal gluts and maintenance of quality produce throughout the year.
The facility will also provide remunerative prices to the growers by enhancing the holding capacity of their farm produces and to make available farm produce to the consumers at competitive and affordable price,� the source added.
Minister for Fisheries and Water Resource Basanta Das, in the absence of Agriculture Minister Rokybul Hussain, ceremonially laid the foundation of the cold storage. The foundation-laying function was also attended by Dalgaon MLA Illias Ali, Chairman of Darrang District Regulated Market Committee Mynuddin Ahmed and other officials at the Regulated Market Committee complex at Kharupetia.
Apart from this, minister Basanta Das in presence of Pratap Bordoloi, Chairman Mangaldai Municipal Board (MMB) also laid the foundation of the proposed multi-storeyed �Commercial Complex Project� to be implemented by MMB at a total cost of Rs 60 crore at Mangaldai town today. For this, HUDCO has already released an amount of Rs 26 crore.
Moreover, the day marked the inauguration of a few more projects in Mangaldai including the newly-constructed Model Hospital at Janaramchowka, the new building for 100-bed hospital for Child and Maternity Ward at an estimated cost of Rs 18 crore and the Industrial Training Institute (ITI) at Gerimari of Mangaldai by Minister Das.
