Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the 100th Kisan Rail from Sangola in Maharashtra to Shalimar in West Bengal, via video conferencing today at 4:30 pm.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the multi-commodity train service will carry vegetables such as cauliflower, capsicum, cabbage, drumsticks, chilies, onion, as well as fruits like grapes, oranges, pomegranate, banana, custard apple, etc. Loading and unloading of perishable commodities will be permitted at all en route stoppages with no bar on the size of the consignment. The Government of India has extended a subsidy of 50 per cent on transportation of fruits and vegetables.
The first Kisan Rail was introduced from Devlali to Danapur on August 7 this year, which was extended up to Muzaffarpur. Its frequency was also increased from weekly to three days a week.
Kisan Rail has been a ‘game-changer’ in ensuring ‘fast transportation of agriculture produces’ across the nation. It provides a ‘seamless’ supply chain of perishable produce, as per the PMO.
In another development, Modi will inaugurate also India’s first-ever driverless train operations on the Delhi Metro’s Magenta Line (Janakpuri West-Botanical Garden) on Monday at 11 am via video conferencing. He will launch the fully operational National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) services on the Airport Express Line as well in the same event.