What is kisan rail yojana?
Kisan Rail Yojana by the Government of India is a scheme that has facilitated special rails for the transport of perishable items. This Yojana by the Indian Government is for the good of farmers.
The Union Budget 2020-21 announced building Kisan Rail to transport perishable items like meat, fish, eggs and milk. The Kisan Rail Yojana is focused on building a cold supply chain across the country.
This step by the Indian Government is directed towards increasing the income of the farmers. The Government of India is working to double the farmers' income by the year 2022.
According to PM Modi, the Kisan Rail Yojana will transform the economics of the country. It will also help to strengthen the cold supply chain of India.
Kisan rail yojana
Indian Railways has already started working to build a nationwide cold supply chain as proposed in the Kisan Rail Yojana. The Railways has planned to set up the whole supply chain through PPP arrangement.
In both express and freight trains, the Kisan Rail would have refrigerated coaches. The Union budget also proposed that the Civil Aviation Ministry will launch Krishi Udan on foreign and national routes to transport perishable goods to remote areas including the north-east and tribal districts.
These initiatives by the Indian Govt will not only help increase farmers' income but also save food wastage due to a poor supply chain. Also, these steps will ensure that every part of the country gets an adequate supply of eggs, milk, and meat.
Steps taken by Indian Railways
Indian Railways has been working for many years to ensure a seamless cold supply chain in the country. Kisan Rail Yojana is like cold storage on wheels.
Here are the steps were taken by the Indian Railways to maintain the cold supply chain across the nation:
Refrigerated Parcel Vans: For the transportation of highly perishable parcel traffic, the Railways have built a new design of refrigerated parcel vans with a carrying capacity of 17 tonnes. Rail Coach Factory Kapurthala was used to obtain it. The Indian Railways currently has a fleet of nine such refrigerated vans available for round-trip reservations. The vans' charge is 1.5 times that of a standard freight train.
The Indian Railways has purchased 98 Ventilated Insulated Containers for the transport of fruits and vegetables across the country. The containers each have a carrying capacity of 12 tonnes.
Cold Storage Facilities for Perishables: As part of the Container Corporation of India's CSR initiative, temperature-controlled perishable cargo centres have been developed in select areas like Ghazipur Ghat (UP), New Azadpur (Adarsh Nagar, Delhi), and Raja ka Talab (UP).
Another such project is being built in Lasalgaon, Nasik, Maharashtra, as well as in Dadri. Besides, the Central Railside Warehousing Corporation has been permitted to build similar temperature-controlled storage facilities in Fatuha and Mancheswar.
Opening new possibilities
Mr Modi said the BJP government at the Centre had spent crores of rupees in modernising the country's supply chains, with the 'Kisan Rail' service being a new experiment.
India had a vast rail network even before independence. Though we had cold storage technologies before, it is only now that we are making effective use of them through the Kisan Rail Yojana.
When we say that India's farmers can now transport their produce to far-flung parts of the world as well as gain access to foreign markets, we are putting our claims into practice.
Previously, the ‘Kisan Rail' was only run once a week. But it's become so successful that now it runs 3 days a week. It also demonstrates that farmers are open to new agricultural possibilities.
The Prime Minister claimed that the ‘Kisan Rail' service would help farmers protect themselves from demand and supply fluctuations. Now the farmers in India have the option of sending their produce to areas of the country where there was a demand for a specific crop or fruit.
Furthermore, no minimum price quantum for a farmer's consignment has been created.
Conclusion
Previously, farmers had to transport their produce by road, which increased both the cost and the time of transportation. However, due to a shortage of cold storage and larger markets, the smaller farmer was cut off. But now he can take advantage of the Centre's 50 percent subsidy on fruits and vegetables in the Kisan Rail Yojana.
Frequently asked questions on kisan rail Yojana
Is there any minimum consignment weight?
No! there is no minimum or maximum limit on the consignment. Farmers can book the consignment as per the orders. This is done to ensure that the farmers get the benefit of flexibility.
Where can you book the consignment?
Anyone can book the consignment in Kisan Rail from the arrival, departure or any intermediate station.
How much subsidy is given to farmers?
The government of India is giving a 50% concession on notified fruits and vegetables. This is to encourage the farmers to use the Kisan rail.
Which route does the first kisan rail cover?
The first Kisan rail Route started from Devlali Maharashtra to Dananpur in Bihar. It will reduce transportation time by 15 hours