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The MoU was signed yesterday between the Registrar of Cooperative Societies (RCS), Odisha State Agriculture Marketing Board (OSAMB) and NABARD Consultancy Services Private Limited (NABCONS), an official release said today.
The rural godowns will be owned by 544 PACS and LMPCS working under the cooperation department, it said.
The proposed godowns will be utilised to store paddy purchased from farmers at PACS and LMPCS level. Rs 83 crore has been earmarked in the state's 2013-14 budget for construction of these godowns, the release said, adding Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) will also provide additional financial assistance.
Registrar of Cooperative Societies will identify sites for construction of 544 godowns and RCS will make available land with approach roads and hand them over to the executing agency, it said.
Odisha State Agriculture Marketing Board (OSAMB) has been identified as the executing agency and it will bear the operational responsibility and execute the project.
NABCONS will provide project management consultancy services and will ensure architectural planning and designing of godowns and on-site monitoring of the works. Project management consultancy fees will be seven per cent of the actual project cost.
Work for 544 godowns would be taken up in four phases and the first phase will comprise of 124 godowns, state's Minister for Cooperation Bikram Arukh said.
Sources said NABCONS have already prepared 124 DPRs for construction of these godowns which have been approved by the state government.
The second, third and fourth phases will be taken up subsequently, the minister said, adding that all phases will be taken up for implementation within 24 months.
Construction of these 544 rural godowns will be finished by 2014-15 and the entire expenditure will be about Rs 168 crore. These will create a total capacity of storing above 3.36 lakh tonnes of paddy which would prove to be of immense benefit for farmers.
