New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday (December 28, 2020) flagged off the 100th 'Kisan Rail' from Sangola in Maharashtra to Shalimar in West Bengal and said that the Kisan Rail service is a big step towards empowering farmers and increasing their income.
"I congratulate crores of farmers of the country. Despite COVID-19 challenge Kisan Rail network has expanded in the last four months and got its 100th rail now," expressed PM Modi.
He added, "Kisan Rail service is a big step towards empowering the farmers and increasing their income."
PM Modi said that the Kisan Rail Service will also increase the strength of the country's cold supply chain and said that the Kisan Rail is like a moving cold storage facility. "Perishable items like fruits, vegetables, milk, fish etc can be safely transported from one place to another in time," stated the Prime Minister.
किसान रेल सेवा, देश के किसानों की आमदनी बढ़ाने की दिशा में भी एक बहुत बड़ा कदम है।
इससे खेती से जुड़ी अर्थव्वस्था में बड़ा बदलाव आएगा।
इससे देश की कोल्ड सप्लाई चेन की ताकत भी बढ़ेगी: PM
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) December 28, 2020
किसान रेल चलता फिरता कोल्ड स्टोरेज भी है।
यानि इसमें फल हो, सब्ज़ी हो, दूध हो, मछली हो, यानि जो भी जल्दी खराब होने वाली चीजें हैं, वो पूरी सुरक्षा के साथ एक जगह से दूसरी जगह पहुंच रही हैं: PM#100thKisanRail
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) December 28, 2020
PM Modi said that under the PM Krishi Sampada Yojana, around 6,500 projects like mega food parks, cold chain infrastructure, agro-processing clusters have been approved.
"Rs 10,000 crores have been approved for micro food processing industries under government's 'Atmanirbhar' package," said PM Modi.
पीएम कृषि संपदा योजना के तहत मेगा फूड पार्क्स, कोल्ड चेन इंफ्रास्ट्रक्चर, एग्रो प्रोसेसिंग क्लस्टर, ऐसे करीब साढ़े 6 हजार प्रोजेक्ट स्वीकृत किए गए हैं।
आत्मनिर्भर अभियान पैकेज के तहत माइक्रो फूड प्रोसेसिंग उद्योगों के लिए 10 हज़ार करोड़ रुपए स्वीकृत किए गए हैं: PM
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) December 28, 2020
The multi-commodity train service reportedly carried vegetables such as cauliflower, capsicum, cabbage, drumsticks, chillies, and onions. It also carried fruits like grapes, oranges, pomegranate, banana, custard apple etc.
This is to be noted that the Centre has also extended a subsidy of 50% on transportation of fruits and vegetables.
India's first Kisan Rail was introduced from Devlali to Danapur on August 7, 2020, which was further extended up to Muzaffarpur, whereas, the first Kisan Rail from south India chugged off from Anantapuramu on September 9 carrying 322 tonnes of fresh fruits to Azadpur Mandi in the national capital. Subsequently, its frequency was also increased from weekly to three days a week.
Flagging off the #100thKisanRail. https://t.co/PVHtEGZFk8
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 28, 2020
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi also flagged off India's first-ever driverless train operations on the Delhi Metro's Magenta Line. He noted that metro service was confined to only five cities in 2014 when his government came to power at the Centre and said it has continuously been expanded to different cities, a testimony of people's "ease of living" being ensured by his dispensation.
PM said that with the driverless metro trains, India has become one of the few countries in the world, where such service is available.
