Gaya: After missing two deadlines — the latest being Feb 15 — the much-awaited and slow-moving Rs 78 crore Electronic National Agriculture Marketing (ENAM) project has been further delayed as two new buildings meant for retail sellers of agricultural goods, each housing around 50 outlets, remain under construction.Despite pressure to complete the project ahead of CM Nitish Kumar’s proposed Samriddhi Yatra — the detailed schedule for the Gaya leg of the yatra has not yet been made public — the project is unlikely to be completed before the visit.
Earlier, in mid-2025, Prem Kumar, the then agriculture minister, had announced that the project would be completed and that the grain and vegetable market would be shifted to the new premises before the end of Sept 2025. Later, after being elected Speaker, Prem Kumar told this newspaper that the new agriculture market would become operational before Feb 15, 2025.A few days ago, Prem Kumar, who is also the sitting MLA from Gaya town, convened a meeting in Patna to review progress on the project. He expressed displeasure and rebuked the officials concerned over the slow pace of execution, directing them to expedite the work. The ENAM is being established within the Bazar Samiti complex in the Chandauti area on the western outskirts of the town.Spread over 56.48 acres, the ENAM facility includes a weigh bridge, canteen, loading and unloading platforms, rainwater harvesting system, green areas, vending platforms, solar panels, livestock shops, a farmer rest house, shaded resting spaces for workers, and warehouses with capacities of 5,000 metric tonnes (MT), 2,000 MT and 1,000 MT. Provision has also been made for godowns with a capacity of 1,000 metric tonnes. Adequate lighting arrangements and strong fortification of the entire complex to prevent pilferage have also been put in place.Conceding that the project has been delayed, district agriculture officer Sanjiv Kumar said the two under-construction buildings would be completed in the next two to three months. Once construction is finished, the grain and vegetable/fruit markets currently operating from Old Godown and Kedarnath Market will be shifted to the Chandauti complex, he said. The DAO added that small vegetable growers would also be able to sell their produce directly at designated locations within the premises.
