Gaya: The long-awaited shifting of Gaya’s wholesale food grains, vegetable and fruit market to the Electronic National Agriculture Market (ENAM) complex at Chandauti is set to face another delay as the state govt is yet to frame rules governing the facility’s operation and space allotment.The project has already missed two deadlines. Former agriculture minister and current assembly speaker Prem Kumar had earlier announced that the shifting would be completed by Sept 2025. A subsequent deadline of Feb 15 also passed without any progress.The ENAM complex, spread over more than 50 acres on the western outskirts of the city, is a flagship initiative championed by Prem Kumar. The state govt has spent Rs 78 crore on the project.Asked about the delay, Prem Kumar said some technical issues had emerged. “The Bihar govt has not framed rules for the market’s operation. The rules are to be made by the agriculture department and would be placed before the cabinet for its approval,” he said.Prem said he was in touch with agriculture minister Vijay Kumar Sinha, who had assured him of expediting the matter. “No time frame can be given at this point of time,” he said.The facility has been developed at the site of the old World Bank-funded Bazar Samiti complex, which remained largely unused for decades after wholesalers refused to shift there, citing poor law and order and inadequate infrastructure.According to district agriculture officer Sanjeev Kumar, the building construction department has not yet handed over the facility to the agriculture department. “Some works are still pending,” he said, adding that the shifting process would begin only after formal handover.Meanwhile, Central Bihar Chamber of Commerce president Pramod Bhadani said the organisation was yet to formulate its stand on the proposed shift. “A response will be framed only after a complete picture emerges,” he said.
