Set up Terminal market at Nagpur: VEDC

The Vidarbha Economic Development Council (VEDC) has demanded speeding up the process for setting up a terminal market here, saying such a facility will give a "tremendous" impetus to agriculture in the region.

Under a scheme of the Union Ministry of Agriculture (National Horticulture Mission) one terminal market each for agriculture produce was to be established at Nagpur, Nashik and Mumbai.

A Group of Ministers (GoM) has appointed Maharashtra State Agriculture Marketing Board (MSAMB) as the nodal agency to implement the project.

A piece of land (40 hectares) was identified at Mouza Waranga near here for the facility and a proposal was sent by Divisional Commissioner to the Ministry of Revenue & Forests for allotting the land to MSAMB.

Now, more than one-and-a-half years have passed but the land has not been transferred to MSAMB, thus delaying the project's execution, according to a release from VED. While work on the terminal markets at Mumbai and Nashik are probably complete, the project still remains on paper in Nagpur. If the faciity comes up here, it shall give a "tremendous" impetus to agriculture in the region, it said.

Devendra Parekh, President of VED, stated that correspondence with the Ministry has so far not thrown up any positive action.