SRINAGAR: Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Anshul Garg on Monday urged fruit growers, traders and other stakeholders to make greater use of railway freight services for transporting horticulture produce, particularly apples, to markets within and outside Jammu and Kashmir.
Garg was chairing a meeting convened to review the utilisation of railway freight services for transportation of horticulture produce from Kashmir.
He directed all Deputy Commissioners and the Director Horticulture Planning & Marketing to hold consultations with fruit growers, traders, associations and aggregators to encourage wider use of railway freight services.
The Divisional Commissioner said rail transportation should be increasingly utilised for long-distance destinations as it could offer a cost-effective and efficient alternative for moving large quantities of horticulture produce.
He also directed the Director Horticulture Planning & Marketing to ensure better coordination between fruit growers, traders, associations and railway authorities for smooth movement of produce.
Garg laid particular emphasis on maximising transportation of horticulture produce from Jablipora Mandi in Anantnag. He directed Deputy Commissioners to explore and facilitate the movement of a certain percentage of fruit consignments through railway services from their respective districts.
During the meeting, Roll-on/Roll-off (Ro-Ro) services were also discussed. Garg asked Northern Railway officials to share an informational video with fruit associations explaining technical requirements for trucks, including permissible load height and other parameters, to facilitate greater use of the service.
Meanwhile, Garg and IGP Traffic Kashmir M Soleman Choudhary directed fruit associations to sensitise truck drivers about prescribed load limits on the National Highway.
They warned that overloading not only violates prescribed norms but also poses serious risks to road safety and traffic management. Strict action, they said, would be taken against vehicles found violating the prescribed limits.
The meeting was attended by IGP Traffic Kashmir M Soleman Choudhary, Deputy Commissioners, Director Horticulture Planning & Marketing Ghulam Jeelani Zargar, officers from Northern Railway, Industries and Commerce and Information departments, besides representatives of various fruit associations.
Fruit association representatives put forth suggestions and sought long-term measures to strengthen transportation infrastructure for the horticulture sector, including better connectivity between fruit mandis and the railway network.
Earlier, the Director Horticulture Planning & Marketing gave a detailed presentation on apple production in Kashmir, existing transportation arrangements and the economic benefits of using railway goods and freight services for horticulture produce.
