Lok Sabha Question No. 3965 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-12-23
Subject: Cold Storage Facility
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: RAMACHANDRAN MULLAPPALLY

- (a) projects are as under:-

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## UNSTARRED QUESTION  No. 3965

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 23.12.2015 COLD STORAGE FACILITY

## 3965. SHRI MULLAPPALLY RAMACHANDRAN:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state :

- a) the  present  status  of  the  setting  up  of  cold  storage  facility  at  different locations in the country including Vatakara railway  station in Kerala;
2. b)
3. whether the construction of the same has started; and
- c) if so, the details thereof and the expected time of its completion?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## (SHRI MANOJ SINHA)

- to  (c):  Under  a  pilot  project  called  'Kisan  Vision  Project',  Container Corporation  of  India  Limited  (CONCOR),  Central  Warehousing  Corporation (CWC)  and  Central  Railside  Warehouse  Company  Limited  (CRWC)  were asked to provide infrastructure to encourage development of facilities for setting  up  cold  storages  and  temperature-controlled  perishable  cargo centers  as  well  as  developing  agri-retail  outlets  through  public  private partnership (PPP) mode at six locations on Indian Railways. Details of these
- (i) Nasik (Maharashtra): The centre located in Nasik District of Maharashtra is functional since 23.02.2013.
- (ii) New  Azadpur  (Delhi):  Perishable  Cargo  Centre  at  New  Azadpur, Adarsh Nagar, New Delhi is functional since 24.03.2015.
- (iii) New  Jalpaiguri  (West  Bengal):  The  Perishable  Cargo  Centre  at Bagdogra airport was taken over by CONCOR on 22.02.2011 from Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority (SJDA). Under the provisions

Contd...2/-

of Agreement executed between SJDA & CONCOR, SJDA was required to obtain  requisite  license  from  State  Government  authorities.  Since  SJDA has not been able to obtain the same, CONCOR is making efforts to return the facility to SJDA.

- (ii) Singur (West Bengal):  The Perishable Cargo Centre was made functional on 18/12/2011. However, due to very low utilization, the service provider has abandoned the contract.
- (iii) Dankuni (West Bengal): Central Railside Warehouse Company Ltd.(CRWC) has been entrusted with the responsibility of developing Perishable Cargo Centre at Dankuni. However, release of requisite land at the proposed site is  not  viable  due  to  presence  of  coal  blocks,  commercial  plots,  high tension wire and infringing road movement.
- (iv) Perishable Cargo Centre at Ghazipur Ghat (Uttar Pradesh): The facility is expected to be functional by December 2016, with a built-up area of 1350 sq.m in   Phase-I.

CONCOR's  fully  owned  subsidiary,  i.e.  Fresh  and  Healthy  Enterprises Limited (FHEL) is operating a controlled-atmosphere store at Rai (Sonepat)

in Haryana having the capacity of 11700 metric tonnes.

CRWC has carried out preliminary surveys for construction of temperaturecontrolled  storages  at  10  other  locations,  viz.  Vatva,  Vishakhapatnam, Badagara  (also  known  as  Vatakara),  Udhna,  Cheriyanad,  Bhivandi  Road, Azara, Navlur, Kalamboli and Yashwantpura. These surveys do not indicate feasibility, due to inadequate availability of land/traffic, at all the locations except  at  Bhiwandi  Road.  CRWC  has  surveyed  other  potential  locations and,  West  Hill,  Calicut  is  among  the  proposed  alternate  locations  for Railside  warehouse  complex  in  Kerala.  CRWC  has  been  allowed  a timeframe of two years from receipt of requisite approvals for construction and operationalization of the warehouse complex

*******