JEYPORE: In a bid to woo villagers of Kotia, the Koraput administration has set up a cold storage unit in the disputed panchayat under Pottangi block. The cold store with five-tonne capacity became operational from Monday. Constructed at a cost of around Rs 10 lakh from the District Mineral Foundation (DMF) fund, it will be used to store produce of vegetable farmers of Kotia. The administration has initially engaged a self-help group of the panchayat to manage the unit.
Farmers of several villages of Kotia cultivate vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage, tomato and ginger round the year. In absence of storage facility, they are forced to take their produce to the distant Kunduli market for selling.
Sources said many vegetable growers of Kotia suffer losses as their produce often gets damaged without cold storage facility in the area. Besides, they have to bear the transport cost of the vegetables.
The cold storage unit was a long-standing demand of the villagers and public representatives of Kotia. District manager of Odisha Livelihood Mission Sasmita Samantaray said the new facility will give a boost to the livelihood of vegetable growers of the panchayat.