SAMBALPUR: After nearly a decade, the long-stalled Terminal Market Complex project at Nildungri in Sambalpur is back in focus following Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s announcement for its revival.This project was aimed at boosting farmers’ income and streamline agricultural trade across 10 districts of Western Odisha. Initially estimated at cost of Rs 74 crore, the then Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had laid the foundation stone for the facility on September 28, 2014.
The proposed market complex was designed to include system for marketing and processing of horticulture products. Planned under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, it was planned to have parking area for 200 trucks, cold storage facilities, warehouses, electronic auction systems, and packing units. It would have served as an assembly and trading point for agriculture and horticulture products.
However, LMJ International Limited, a Kolkata-based firm selected for the project backed out due to land lease issues, sources said. The company struggled to secure bank financing under the 25-year lease granted by the State government and requested an extension to 50 years which was denied. Subsequently, the project was stalled.
During last year’s election campaign, Union minister Pradhan had visited Nildungri, expressing disappointment that the BJD government had failed to develop the market. A few days ago, he announced plans for the project’s revival while attending the PM Kisan Samman event in Sambalpur.
Collector of Sambalpur Siddheshwar Baliram Bondar said the director of horticulture has already visited the site, and the work for preparation of DPR will begin soon. Around 60 acres of land will be covered for the project. “After the DPR, we will float a tender. We are expecting the DPR would be completed in around a month, and subsequently, we will move forward with the project in the upcoming fiscal year,” he added.
Local farmers and traders welcomed the announcement, hopeful that the market complex will finally address long-standing challenges of agricultural marketing.
This project will shorten the supply chain of perishable items and create direct link between farmers and markets, benefiting vegetable and flower farmers across Odisha’s Western districts of Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Balangir, Bargarh, Sonpur, Boudh, Sundargarh, Deogarh, Nuapada and Kalahandi.