The State Government has approved an Agro Shopping Mall and a road for Charama Agriculture Produce Market in insurgency infested Kanker district of Bastar region. Agriculture Minister Brijmohan Agrawal has allocated Rs 2 crore for the purpose.
A new fruits and vegetables market will also come up at Kanker soon. Incidentally, an Agro Mall will also be developed at Raipur Agriculture Produce Market soon. This was informed in a meeting of Chhattisgarh State Agriculture Marketing Board presided over by Agriculture Minister Brijmohan Agrawal last month.
The meeting decided to allocate 15 per cent of the funds collected at mandis for the welfare activities of farmers and ten per cent for the protection of cows in villages. Several proposals were approved at the meeting. It was decided that the premises of 50 large mandis will be re-constructed.
Agrawal ordered for constructing godowns with a storage capacity of 10 lakh tonne at the large mandis. The design of godowns should be such that foodgrains are protected.
The members of the Board have decided to release Rs10 crore for the construction of 'Goshalas' in all development blocks. The proposal to give loans to the officers and employees of Mandi boards and Agriculture Mandi Samitis for the construction of buildings and plots was also approved.
It was decided to give loans to farmers at reasonable rates and purchase farmers' produce at fair price. The Mandi Board approved the proposal to allot Rs10 crore for the proposed Co-operative Sugar Mill at village Pandaria in Kabhirdam district.
Agrawal had stated that the land in the name of Agriculture Produce Mandis should be transferred to Mandi Board as soon as possible. The development works of Agriculture Department, Animal Husbandry and Pisciculture Department should be speeded up. There was a detailed discussion on the progress of the establishment of Seed Certification laboratory at Bilaspur, Ambikapur and Jagdalpur.