SRINAGAR, AUGUST 31: Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Anshul Garg on Monday urged fruit growers, traders and other stakeholders to make greater use of railway goods and freight services for transporting apples and other horticulture produce to domestic mandis and international destinations.
Garg was chairing a meeting convened to review the utilization of railway freight services for 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, officials of Northern Railway, Industries & Commerce and Information Departments, besides representatives of various fruit associations.
The Divisional Commissioner directed all Deputy Commissioners and the Director Horticulture Planning & Marketing to consult fruit growers, traders, associations and aggregators and encourage them to utilize railway freight services on a wider scale.
He stressed that rail transportation should be increasingly used for long-distance destinations, as it offers a cost-effective and efficient means of transporting large quantities of horticulture produce. He also called for better coordination among growers, traders, fruit associations and railway authorities to ensure smooth movement of consignments.
Garg laid special emphasis on maximizing the transportation of horticulture produce from Jablipora Mandi in Anantnag through rail services. He further directed Deputy Commissioners to explore and facilitate movement of a certain percentage of fruit consignments by rail from their respective districts.
Discussing the Roll-on/Roll-off (Ro-Ro) service, the Divisional Commissioner asked Northern Railway officials to share an informational video with fruit associations explaining the technical requirements for trucks, including permissible load height and other parameters, to facilitate effective use of the service.
On road transportation, Garg and IGP Traffic Kashmir directed fruit associations to undertake extensive sensitization of truck drivers regarding adherence to permissible load limits on the National Highway. They cautioned that overloading violates prescribed norms and poses serious risks to road safety and traffic management, warning that strict action would be taken against vehicles found violating the rules.
Representatives of fruit associations put forward suggestions and sought long-term measures to strengthen transportation infrastructure for the horticulture sector, including improved connectivity of fruit mandis with the railway network. They also appreciated the administration for its continued support and facilitation of the fruit industry.
Earlier, Director Horticulture Planning & Marketing Ghulam Jeelani Zargar gave a detailed presentation on apple production in Kashmir, existing transportation arrangements and the economic benefits of using railway goods and freight services for transporting horticulture produce
