Jammu: The Northern Railway has proposed a 50 per cent concession on return freight for transportation of apples and other horticulture produce from Kashmir through its joint parcel product – rapid cargo service (JPP-RCS) scheme, officials said.
The proposal was discussed at a joint meeting organised by Jammu division of northern railway in Srinagar to promote safe and economical transportation of Kashmiri fruits through railways, officials said.
The meeting, held at the office of the Director, Horticulture Planning and Marketing, was attended by the Area Manager and other railway officials, representatives of the Horticulture Department, including Marketing Officers and Assistant Grading Officers from Parimpora, Bandipora and Anantnag, besides cargo aggregators.
Under the proposed arrangement, traders, aggregators and logistics service providers making advance bookings of parcel coaches for both directions through JPP-RCS trains will be charged 1.5 times the normal JP Scale rate for the round trip, effectively providing a 50 per cent discount on return freight, officials said.
The booking and payment process will be completed at the originating station itself, saving traders time and paperwork, they said.
The meeting also discussed the commercial viability of the proposal, freight charges, cargo handling arrangements, train schedules and collection and delivery facilities.
All stakeholders welcomed the proposal and stressed the need for close coordination between Northern Railway and cargo aggregators to ensure its effective implementation on the ground and extend direct benefits to fruit growers, they said.
Several meetings have already been held between the Railways and cargo aggregators to explore ways to improve rail-based transportation of horticulture produce from Kashmir.
The railway administration assured fruit growers of all possible assistance and said stakeholders would be informed about the future course of action and progress of the scheme, officials added.
