Kesinga: Sans maintenance, the Farmer’s Information and Advisory Centre (FIAC) at Kesinga block in Kalahandi district has been lying in a dilapidated condition. The centre has been lying unused for years now.
According to sources, in bid to give training and grass root level information regarding farming and new technology to be provided to the farmers, Odisha government, started construction of a Farmer’s Information and Advisory Centre (FIAC) at Kesinga.
But, for some reason the building has been lying half-constructed for over four years and now resembles a haunted house. Under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, the state government started the construction work in 2016-17 financial year. Even though four years have passed by, the construction company is yet to complete the work.
Locals alleged that the construction company had been using low quality materials in the construction work. They also alleged that the contractor has used less quantity of cement during the foundation construction work.
The state government had decided to construct the FIAC, in bid to facilitate the block farmers with training centre, laboratory and cold store. However, due to careless attitude of the agricultural department officers, the half-constructed FIAC has given no benefit to the farmers of the block.
As there are no cold stores in the block the farmers are facing problems to store their produce due to which they are forced to sell their produce at a very less price to the middlemen.
When asked departmental engineer Rajkishore Sahoo, he said, the construction company will take two three months more to complete the building work.
PNN