Jharkhand Ramps Up Cold Storage: Addressing Farmers' Needs

The Jharkhand government has announced plans to build a cold storage facility in every assembly constituency. This initiative, declared by Agriculture Minister Shilpi Neha Tirkey, aims to address farmers' distress sales due to limited storage options. A budget provision for the 2026-27 financial year has been set aside for this purpose.

Currently, either a cold storage facility of 5,000 metric tonnes exists, or construction is underway in each district, Tirkey noted. The consideration arose following concerns raised by Dumri MLA Jairam Mahto over the lack of adequate storage forcing farmers to undersell their produce.

Additionally, BJP MLA Raj Sinha has voiced concerns over the repeated collapse of a road in Dhanbad district. Built at a significant cost, the 20-km road has a history of cave-ins over the past 17 months. Parliamentary Affairs minister Radhakrishna Kishore has assured a probe should fund mismanagement be suspected.