SAMBALPUR: More than a year after Sambalpur MP Dharmendra Pradhan announced plans to revive the long-stalled Terminal Market Complex at Nildungri in Sambalpur and the district administration assured that the process would be initiated, the proposed agricultural trading hub for 10 districts remains in limbo.
The project, initially conceived to streamline trade, improve market access for farmers and shorten the supply chain for perishable commodities, is yet to reach the tendering stage.
The terminal market project returned to the spotlight during the 2024 election campaign when Pradhan visited the site and expressed disappointment over the failure of the then BJD government to develop the facility. In February 2025, he announced plans for its revival while attending the PM Kisan Samman event in Sambalpur, raising hopes that the decade-old project would finally take off.
Following the announcement, the district administration stated that the director of horticulture had visited the site and preparation of a detailed project report would begin soon. Sambalpur collector Siddheshwar Baliram Bondar said the project would cover around 60 acres. The administration also indicated that the tendering process would follow, with work expected to move forward in the subsequent financial year.
The proposed timelines, however, have passed without any visible progress towards implementation. When contacted, the collector confirmed that no further progress had been made on the project, leaving its revival uncertain.
The foundation stone for the facility was laid by the then chief minister Naveen Patnaik on September 28, 2014. Initially estimated to cost `74 crore, the project was planned under the public-private partnership model.
The complex was proposed to have parking space for 200 trucks, cold storage facilities, warehouses, electronic auction systems and packing units, besides infrastructure for marketing and processing horticultural produce.
The project hit a roadblock after Kolkata-based LMJ International Limited, which was selected to develop the facility, backed out over land lease issues. Sources said the company faced difficulties in securing bank financing under the 25-year lease offered by the state government and sought an extension to 50 years. However, the request was not granted, and the resulting impasse brought the project to a halt.