Railways to set up Kisan Rail to transport perishable goods within India

New Delhi, Feb 01: Indian Railways will set up Kisan Rail through PPP arrangement, for transportation of perishable goods, said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday while presenting Budget for 2020-21.
This is Sitharaman's second Budget and speculations are rife that the Finance Minister would announce robust measures to restore economic growth and put the Indian economy on the path for achieving the target of USD 5 trillion economy by 2025.

She said,'' We want women Self Help Groups in the villages to distribute seeds to farmers with help of MUDRA scheme. Indian Railways will now play an even more involved role in food distribution. We will set up a Kisan Rail to help transport perishable goods within the country. Horticulture sector with its current production of 311 million metric tonnes exceeds the production of food grains.''

The Budget has announced Krishi Rail, to be implemented by the Ministry of Railways, and Krishi Udaan by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
These will complement roadways for faster transportation of perishable agricultural goods. While in Railways, refrigerated coaches will be added to Express and Freight trains, the Krishi Udaan scheme will see flights on national and international routes pitching in.