Haryana to rope in private players for cold chains

The synergy between the public and corporate sector participation is likely to strengthen further as the Haryana Cooperative Supply and Marketing Federation (Hafed) has decided to join hands with private partners to set up a cold chain hub at Murthal near Delhi and Rural Hyper Mall.

Hafed has 10 acres of land at Murthal where a godown of 5,000 tonnes capacity has been constructed.

According to Sudhir Rajpal, managing director, Hafed, Hafed intends to set up a state-of-the-art distribution centre for perishables including cold storage facilities at Murthal. The perishables would be transported from across Haryana in refrigerated vans to Murthal.

Hafed is in the process of hiring a private consultant to conceptualise the project. Proximity to Delhi is the primary reason for developing the project at Murthal.

The distribution centre may be modeled on the lines of Mother Diary's central distribution facility at Mongolpuri, Delhi, to cater to the retailers of Delhi.

The public-private partnership model is also being contemplated for setting up rural hyper mall/kisan bazar at Nilokheri and Gharaunda on NH 1 to facilitate the farmers with a one-stop shop for all agricultural inputs and information. The expressions of interest have been invited for consultants for both the projects.

An investment of Rs 80 crore has been earmarked by Hafed to set up a sugar mill at Asandh in Karnal district. A bagasse-based power plant will also be run where 2 Mw of surplus power will be generated and sold. Hafed would, for the first time, try its hands in power generation through bagasse.

The sugar is expected to be commissioned in March 2008.

There is also a proposal of setting up a filling station at Asandh as the farmers who offload sugarcane at sugar mill need diesel to refill their tractors. The earlier plan of Hafed of setting up petrol stations at Ladwa, Taraori and Radaur in collaboration with the Indian Oil Corporation did not take shape.