ROURKELA: At a time when the Government is busy announcing sops for farmers across the State, agriculture infrastructure in Rourkela is in shambles. Most facilities including a mega wholesale market yard are either lying unutilised or incomplete. In February 2014, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had laid foundation stone for a market yard at Balughat along the NH-143. The `98.45 crore project has been halted since February last year as the National Commission for Scheduled Tribe (NCST) objected to the use of  the land.

Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC) sub-committee chairman for works Ramesh Chandra Bal said the market yard is an important agriculture infrastructure project that would directly benefit lakhs of farmers of Panposh and Bonai sub-divisions. “RMC is a statutory body and land was allotted for the project legally by the Land Allotment Committee. It appears like NCST stopped the project without going into the details,” he said, adding that RMC would take up the issue with the district administration to impress upon the NCST to reconsider its decision.

Another example of civic body’s negligence is the Krushak Bazaar at Civil Township. It has been lying unused for several years now and the land is used to park vehicles. A cattle shed has also come up in the bazaar. Similarly, a warehouse of the RMC was constructed at Swidihi area with an expenditure of `1 crore but never put to use in the absence of power connection.

A paddy marketing yard at Kuanrmunda is lying incomplete for many years.Bal informed that in the general body meeting of the regulated market committee for Panposh sub-division recently, it has been decided to expedite the market yard project and clear encroachment from Krushak Bazaar.