BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday said his government will set up 58 cold storages - one in each sub-division of the state - under Samrudh Krushak Niti.
The chief minister made the announcement after holding discussions with Bharatiya Kishan Sangha, an RSS affiliate, Gram Vikas Parishad and various other farmers’ organisations on issues of farmers during his first visit to Krushi Bhavan here.
“In the first step to strengthen storage facilities, steps will be taken to construct at least one cold store in each of the 58 sub-divisions of the state. Such facilities at the sub-division level will benefit the farmers by reducing their post-harvest losses and increase the values of agricultural products,” Majhi said.
The BJP in its election manifesto had promised to formulate a Samrudha Krushak Niti (progressive agriculture policy) under which agriculture-related assistance will be provided to farmers starting from cultivation to sale of farm produce. “Under the policy, we have already announced to purchase paddy at Rs 3,100 per quintal from the ensuing kharif marketing season. The next step of the government is to include eligible farmers who are not enlisted in the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme,” Majhi said.
The chief minister also invited suggestions from farmers organisations for the proposed agriculture policy. Deputy chief minister KV Singh Deo, who holds Agriculture portfolio, principal secretary A&FW Arabinda Padhee and other senior officers of the department briefed the chief minister on various schemes.