Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Thursday laid the foundation stone of Centre for Perishable Cargo (CPC) at Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport (LGBI) in the city for transporting perishable agricultural produce of the state to different domestic and international locations.
Being constructed at a total project cost of Rs 19 crore 84 lakh where Rs 50 lakhs will be contributed by the State Government and rest will be borne by the Central Government, the Cargo Centre with a 1705 sqm area will contain cargo handling facilities for inbound and outbound cargo, cold storage along with other measures to export agricultural perishable goods.
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Speaking on the occasion, the Assam CM said that State’s farmers have been deprived from getting right prices for their products due to the dearth of mechanism to sell their goods at different places of the country and abroad and once completed, this centre would revolutionise the whole agricultural sector of the State.
The Assam Government is taking steps to improve communication and other infrastructures along with facilitating industrial growth and all measures have been taken to promote agriculture as a respectable means of livelihood so that more and more youths take up farming as a profession, Sonowal stated.
Saying that all agricultural products produced by State’s farmers have been covered by the cargo system for selling at national and international markets, Sonowal stated that process has been started to sell Assam’s fruits, vegetables etc at the markets of London, Singapore etc and efforts are on to expand to the markets of Europe, America and South East Asia.
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The Assam CM also said that the Central government’s UDAN scheme has facilitated both domestic and international Cargo flights and Act East Policy has given new impetus to the business and commercial ties between India and South East Asian countries.
If agriculture sector can be encompassed by these initiatives than the farmers’ living standards here will get better, he said.
Saying that the State Government has organised Advantage Assam: Global Investors’ Summit to give impetus to the industrial growth of the state; Sonowal stated that the Central Government has allotted lots of funds for the rapid development of Northeast region which has motivated the youths here to achieve success in different fields.
Speaking on the occasion Assam Industry and Commerce Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary remarked that the cargo centre will enable the State’s farmers to find newer markets to sell their products at right prices. He also appreciated the steps taken by Spice Jet to export agricultural goods of the State.