The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has agreed to extend a subsidy of 50% on transportation of notified fruits and vegetables through Kisan Rail trains, under ‘Operation Greens – TOP to Total’. MoFPI will initially provide Rs.10.00 crores to operate the scheme, which will be deposited with South Central Railway. Once this corpus has been utilized, Indian Railways will provide a Utilization Certificate to MoFPI, and MoFPI will provide additional funds to Railways.
- Zonal Railways are, therefore, requested to extend a subsidy of 50% on transportation of notified fruits and vegetables through Kisan Rail trains – with immediate effect.
- Full details of the subsidy granted (including consignor, consignee, train number.
- P-way Bill number, and amount) shall be maintained by the Railways – so that proper and timely accountal may be ensured.
- Chief Parcel Supervisor of the loading station will be responsible for ensuring that only the notified commodities are extended the benefits of this scheme.
- Further modalities for accountal, etc are being finalized and will be communicated shortly.
- Guidelines issued by MoFPI regarding ‘Operation Greens – TOP to Total’ are enclosed herewith for reference.
Further details regarding ‘Operation Greens – TOP to Total’ may be obtained from the website: https://mofpi.nic.in/Aatmanirbhar-Bharat/Operation-Greens-%28TOP-to-Total%29/about-og-total.
This is issued in consultation of the Finance Directorate of the Ministry of Railways.
About Kisan Rail:
- While presenting the Union Budget 2020-21, Union Minister of Finance Smt Nirmala Sitharaman had made an announcement to build a seamless national cold supply chain for perishables, inclusive of milk, meat and fish adding that the Indian Railways will set up a Kisan Rail through PPP arrangements.
- Kisan Rail shall be trains with multi commodities, multi-consignors and multi consignees.
- These trains shall run between fixed Origin–Destination pairs with en-route stoppages, and loading/ unloading shall be permitted at any of the en-route stoppage.
- Farmers may make the best use of this facility to get right price for their commodity.
Features of Kisan Rail:
- The train will provide seamless supply chain of Perishable produce.
- This train is a step towards realizing the goal of doubling farmers’ incomes by 2022.
- Indian Railways aims to help double farmers’ income with the launch of Kisan Rail.
- This train will help in bringing perishable agricultural products like vegetables, fruits to the market in a short period of time.
- The train with frozen containers is expected to build a seamless national cold supply chain for perishables, inclusive of fish, meat and milk.
Source: Ministry of Railways
