Maharashtra tops in utilising ‘Kisan rail’ trips used for carrying agricultural products
NEW DELHI: Maharashtra topped among states in utilising the services of ‘Kisan rail’, started by the railways in 2020 for providing swift and safe transportation of perishable agricultural products from farmers to metro markets in different parts of the country.
Since the first Kisan rail’s inauguration on August 7, 2020, between Maharashtra’s Devlali and Bihar’s Danapur, the railways has operated more than 2,300 trips across the country.
As per information provided by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to Parliament recently, the railways operated 2,359 Kisan rail trips, originating from Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal from 2020 to June 30, 2022.
“Utilising these trips, approximately 7.9 lakh tonnes of agriculture and dairy perishables such as fruits, vegetables and others were transported, providing markets to farmers cultivating several perishables banana, onion, potato, garlic, mango, grapes, pomegranate, oranges, cauliflower and others,” said the Railway Ministry in its reply.
The Kisan rail service’s primary objective is to increase the farmers’ income by providing a wider market to agricultural and dairy perishables.
The railways runs this unique service from eight originating locations across the country now. According to details shared by the minister on the “Kisan train services”, Maharashtra topped among other states, having availed of 1,838 trips of the services from 2020-21 to 2022-23.
‘2,300 trips so far’
Since the first Kisan rail’s inauguration on August 7, 2020 between Maharashtra’s Devlali and Bihar’s Danapur, the railways has operated more than 2,300 trips across the country, the ministry said.