Move to increase food grain storage capacity
Govt to return Halishahar CSD to food department and set up 39 new godowns
The government has taken initiative to return Halishahar Central Storage Depot (CSD) to the department of food from Karnaphuli Export Processing Zone to increase food grain storage capacity in Chittagong.
Besides, the government will set up 39 more modern godowns with capacity of 35,000 metric tons of food grains in Chittagong division.
Halishahar CSD comprising 94 godowns with storage capacity of 84,750 metric tons of food grains was handed over to Karnaphuli EPZ authorities on February 15, 2006, sources said.
But the country's largest CSD have been lying almost unutilised since then though the Karnaphuli EPZ planned to develop its second unit on 28 acres of land of the CSD.
On the other hand, handing over of the CSD created a serious crisis of space required for storage of emergency food stock, said the sources.
It prompted the government to take initiative to return CSD to department of food.
Joint Secretary Md Zahirul Haq of Food Ministry and Director General of Department of Food DS Costa visited the CSD at Halishahar along with Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority (BEPZA) and Karnaphuli EPZ officials on April 15.
Karnaphuli EPZ allocated space to 13 firms for setting up industrial units and some of them also started developing infrastructures, said the sources at Bepza and Karnpahuli EPZ.
Sources in the office of Chittagong Regional Controller of Food said fate of the allocated land for industrial units would be decided after the CDS is handed over to the department of food.
The department of food would take decision after an inquiry on the present state of the CSD, they said.
Process is also on to construct 17 godowns with capacity of 15,000 metric tons of food grains at the CSD at Dewanhat, sources added.
Besides, Public Works Department is conducting survey to identify sites for these new godowns, they said.
Apart from Dewanhat CSD, construction of godowns with capacity of 5000 metric tons was proposed for Lohagara, Banshkhali, Mirer Sarai and Hathazaria upazila.
Moreover, there are plans to construct six godowns -- one with capacity of 4500 metric tons in Khagrachhari, one with capacity of 1000 metric ton in Rangamati, one with capacity of 500 metric ton in Bandarban, one with capacity of 1000 metric ton in Cox's Bazar, three with capacity of 2500 metric tons in Comilla, one with capacity of 500 metric ton in Brahmanbaria, one with capacity of 1000 metric ton in Chandpur and three with capacity of 2500 metric tons in Laxmipur, said the sources.
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