In a significant move aimed at facilitating the economical and hassle-free transportation of horticulture produce, particularly apples, to various domestic mandis and international destinations, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Anshul Garg today urged fruit growers, traders and other stakeholders to make greater use of railway goods and freight services.
The Divisional Commissioner was chairing a meeting convened to review the utilization of railway freight services for the transportation of horticulture produce from Kashmir.
The meeting was attended by IGP Traffic, Kashmir, M. Soleman Choudhary; Deputy Commissioners, Director Horticulture Planning & Marketing, Ghulam Jeelani Zargar; officers of Northern Railway, Industries & Commerce and Information Departments, besides representatives of various fruit associations.
During the meeting, the Divisional Commissioner directed all Deputy Commissioners and the Director Horticulture Planning & Marketing to hold consultations with fruit growers, traders, associations and aggregators to encourage wider and more economical utilization of railway freight services.
He stressed that railway transportation should be increasingly utilized for long-distance destinations, as it can provide a cost-effective and efficient alternative for transporting large quantities of horticulture produce. He also directed the Director Horticulture Planning & Marketing to ensure effective coordination among fruit growers, traders, associations and railway authorities for the smooth movement of produce.
The Div Com laid special emphasis on maximizing transportation of horticulture produce from Jablipora Mandi Anantnag. He further directed all Deputy Commissioners to explore and facilitate the transportation of a certain percentage of fruit consignments through railway services from their respective districts.
Discussing the Roll-on/Roll-off (Ro-Ro) service, the Divisional Commissioner directed Northern Railway officials to share an informational video with fruit associations highlighting the prescribed technical parameters for trucks, including permissible load height and other requirements, to facilitate its effective utilization.
With regard to transportation of fruit by road, both Divisional Commissioner Kashmir and IGP Traffic Kashmir directed fruit associations to undertake extensive sensitization of truck drivers regarding adherence to the permissible load limits on the National Highway.
They emphasized that overloading not only violates prescribed norms but also poses serious risks to road safety and traffic management. The officers cautioned that strict punitive action would be taken against vehicles found violating the prescribed load limits.
Representatives of various fruit associations put forth their suggestions and sought long-term solutions for strengthening the transportation infrastructure for the horticulture sector, including improved connectivity of fruit mandis with the railway network.
The representatives also expressed appreciation to the administration for its continued support and facilitation of the fruit industry.
Earlier, the Director Horticulture Planning & Marketing made a detailed presentation on apple production in Kashmir, existing transportation arrangements and the economic advantages of utilizing railway goods and freight services for the movement of horticulture produce.