lukewarm and ineffective agricultural societies of farmers have halted cold-storage construction work under the integrated Co-operative Development Project (ICDP) in three districts of Jharkhand. The State Monitoring Cell of the ICDP rued lack of coordination from Primary Agricultural Co-operative Societies (PACS)/large Area Multi-Purpose Societies (lAMPS) of Koderma, Palamu and Chatra in cold storage construction project.
The cold storage projects have to be carried out by the lAMPS/PACS as they are sanctioned loans after completion of survey from their end in their command areas to identify locations where such units could be set up. The societies also need to provide details regarding other infrastructure required to keep cold storage functional in optimal condition. Senior officials and State Monitoring Officer of the ICDP cell were not available to ascertain further development on cold storage construction work.
“The societies are not cooperating with us. They have not provided infrastructures were those cold storages has to be built and that is why cold storages could not be made,” said an official of the State Monitoring Cell of ICDP, Vijay Kumar.
Although funds were sanctioned for the three cold storages in those districts under ICDP, their fate has not yet become clear as farmers’ societies are yet to furnish details of infrastructure that will help running the cold storages.
Among the three projects, more than Rs 3-crore was sanctioned for cold storage in Palamu, a 75MT of cold storage was proposed to be set up at Koderma another one was expected to come up at Chatra with the funds sanctioned to provide boost to the agricultural activities in the naxal affected district.
“There is a serious lack of coordination between Cooperative and PACS/lAMPS. Members of the societies are also not aware of their functions and they seem disinterested in such activities most of the time.
These are the reasons that halt such types of work. They need to be sensitised to the importance these types of infrastructure,” said Principal of Cooperative Training Centre, Kedarnath.
Meanwhile, the ICDP official confided that a cold storage at Boria in Ranchi is on the verge of completion and is likely to start operation from the next financial year. The cold storage at Boria is being constructed to offer storage facility for fruits and vegetables.