Govt moves to construct 30 paddy silos

The government has initiated a big move to construct some 30 silos across the country having facility of paddy drying, preservation and other related facilities with an overall storage capacity of 150,000 metric tons.

The Directorate General of Food under the Ministry of Food will implement a draft project to this end for constructing 30 paddy silos as pilot project basis with an estimated cost of Tk1,400.21 crore with entire government fund to be completed by June 2023.

“This project is likely to be placed before the meeting of ECNEC on Tuesday for its consideration,” said a senior Planning Commission official.

ECNEC Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will preside over the meeting virtually from her official Ganabhaban residence. Ministers, State Ministers and Planning Commission members will join the meeting from the NEC conference room in the city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area.

The official said the main project objectives include ensuring just price of produced paddy after procuring directly from the farmers, increasing government food storage capacity by 150,000 metric tons, incorporation of modern technology in government food management, keeping the nutrition quality of food grains for two to three years without using pesticides, maintaining quality of stored food grains by controlling humidity and temperature and developing a safe and nutritious food management system.

The silos will be constructed at 30 upazilas under 24 districts of all the eight divisions of the country.

The selected upazilas or pourashavas where these silos will be constructed are Kotiadi, Mirzapur, Tangail Sadar, Faridpur Sadar, Haluaghat, Melandoho, Sribordi, Brahmanbaria Sadar, Noakhali Sadar, Comilla Sadar, Dinajpur Sadar, Birol, Thakurgaon Sadar, Boda, Hatibandha, Shibpur, Raninagar, Ishwardi, Nondigram, Sherpur, Khetlal, Kanaighat, Shayestaganj, Sunamganj Sadar, Narail Sadar, Kumarkhali, Charfashion, Patuakhali Sadar, and Kalapara.

The main project operations include construction of 30 paddy silos each having storage capacity of 5,000 metric tons with paddy sorting, drying, humidity controlling system and other facilities, incorporating truck and bulk weighing machines, conveying, bucket elevator in the silos, civil foundation of 30 silos and construction of multipurpose buildings, construction of 30 power substations and construction of boundary walls.

Meanwhile, the other projects likely to be considered in Tuesday’s ECNEC meeting are: Construction of Nolua-Baherchar bridge over the Pandab-Paira River on the Barisal (Dinerarpool) Lakshmipasha-Dumki Road with around Tk1,023.50 crore, upgrading of Modhupur-Mymensingh national highway into due standard and width with around Tk1,107.17 crore, construction of River port at Chilmari (Ramna, Jorgach, Rajibpur, Roumari, Noyahut) with around Tk235.59 crore, enhancing training capacity of BPATC, 1st revised, modernization and expansion of Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons with around Tk215.43 crore.

The other projects likely to be considered in the meeting are: Protection of right embankment of the River Jamuna near Brahmangram-Hatpachil and adjacent areas under Shahzadpur upazila of Sirajganj and strengthening of Betil Spur-1 and Enayetpur Spur-2 with Tk647.49 crore, rehabilitation of Tangon barrage, Buri embankment and Bhulli embankment irrigation project under Thakurgaon district, riverbank protection and integrated water control infrastructures construction with around Tk296.36 crore, agriculture seed development and expansion through geo technology with around Tk72.35 crore, and erection of Bakhrabad-Meghnaghat-Haripur gas transmission pipeline with around Tk1,304.62 crore.