PM inaugurates country’s first solar food silo

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday inaugurated a modern multistoried food warehouse, having capacity of storing 25,000 metric tons of food grains at Santahar here.

Department of Food has constructed the air-conditioned warehouse at a cost of around Taka 232.71 crore with the financial and technical support from Japan. It will preserve food grain through using solar power round the year.

Inside air coolers and other machineries are very much modern and powerful having capacity of keeping the food grains in controlled temperature and moisture for long. There is no chance of damaging any food grain and its quality.

Local technicians have executed other need-based construction works like railway track, internal roads and necessary power system.

The Prime Minister said the present government has been working relentlessly for expansion of food stock. It is expected that the country would be able to build up 100 percent food storage capacity by 2021.

The newly built Santahar warehouse will help enormously in storing government food in Rajshahi region.

Food Minister Advocate Qamrul Islam, Land Minister Shamsur Rahman Sharif, local parliament members and political leaders were present.

The Prime Minister arrived here this morning to inaugurate various development projects and lay foundation of many others.

She also planted a sapling of mango in the silo premises and visited different sections of the multistoried food warehouse.

Sheikh Hasina later would inaugurate extension part of Nandigram Upazila Complex, Shahjaanpur Thana Bhaban, Integrated Education Programme Building for Visually Impaired Persons, Shibganj Upazila Muktijoddha Complex Bhaban, Sicharpar Cluster Village Project-3, 12 Ashrayan Project at Sariya Kandi, Irrigation Programme through Solar Panel at Adamdighi Upazila, District Family Planning Office Bhuilding, 10-bed Mother and Children Welfare centre at Nungola of Barura Sadar.

The Prime Minister will also lay the foundation of the construction of Khoisha Kuri Bridge on Sariyakandi Highway, Joybhoga Bridge, hatfulbari Bridge on Bogra-Sariyakandi Highway, 10-kilometre rural road at Sonatala, Bogra Press Club Bhaban and Extension part of Sonatala Upazila Council administrative building and its hall room.

Later the Prime Minister will address a public meeting at Santahar Stadium.

Source: BSS