Bhubaneswar, Sept. 23 (UDN): Odisha’s cooperative sector currently operates just 18 cold storage facilities, of which 16 are non-functional, the state government informed the Assembly on Wednesday, highlighting the limited cold storage infrastructure under the Cooperation Department.

 Representational Image 

Cooperation Minister Pradeep Bal Samanta shared the figures in a written reply to a question raised by MLA Tankadhar Tripathy.

Only Two Cold Storages Functional

According to the minister, only two of the 18 cold storages managed by the Cooperation Department are operational, while the remaining 16 are defunct.

The facilities are spread across several districts, with Cuttack accounting for six cold storages, the highest in the state. Puri and Ganjam have two each, while Rayagada, Koraput, Jagatsinghpur, Khurda, Bargarh, Dhenkanal and Sundargarh have one cold storage each.

No Proposal For New Cooperative Cold Storages

The minister also informed the House that the government currently has no proposal to establish new cold storages under the cooperative sector.

The disclosure came during the ongoing Assembly session as legislators sought details on the status of cold storage infrastructure managed by the Cooperation Department across Odisha.