Paradip, May 27: The state-of-the-art farmers’ training and research institute, which envisaged imparting latest farming technology and skills to over 50,000 farmers every year, is caught in a land tangle.

The Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (Iffco) had sought for 250 acres near Paradip for the project in 2007. But the state government is yet to allot the land.

“We have resolved to set up a modern farmers’ training institute near Paradip at our own cost. If materialised, the project would be of immense benefit to thousands of farmers. But the project has failed to take off as the state government is yet to provide us with the required land,” said M.R. Patel, senior executive director of Iffco.

“As of now, the state does not have an agricultural training institute of this kind. We are laying priority on the project as it has been envisaged to provide practical knowledge to farmers for improved productivity in the farming sector,” Patel added.

Initially, when Iffco submitted the institute’s proposal to the state government, it had asked for 250 acres of land preferably near its plant site. But later the requirement was scaled down to 150 acres.

The institute was planned to be fully residential. It planned to train at least 50,000 farmers a year, which would have been increased to 1,00,000 in a phased manner. The training institute would also have had boarding and lodging facilities. Farmers would have been provided various facilities free of cost here, he said.

Farmers of the state were supposed to be given training on multiple crop practices in cereals, pulses, oilseeds, horticultural crops, fruit preservation, fish farming, dairy and poultry, maintenance of agricultural equipment and bee keeping at the training institute.

“The problem is that 250 acres of contiguous patch of land is not available near the Iffco plant site.

“As they brought down their requirement of land, the administration has initiated measures to allot land for the project in near future,” said Saroj Kanta Choudhury, additional district magistrate, Paradip.

“The delay in land allotment was mainly due to Iffco’s insistence on allotment of land near the plant site. There is availability land along national highway having excellent road connectivity. The project could come up there provided the administration takes up the matter and allots land without further delay,” said Damodar Rout, Paradip MLA and former agriculture minister.

“We have decided to allot land near Bhootmundei on the NH-5(A) for the agricultural training institute,” said Kujang tehsildar, Vasudev Pradhan.