Two trains would be used for transporting state crops specially pineapple, lemon in refrigerated parcel vans. Earlier air cargo or surface transport was used.
Enewstime Desk
Agartala, April 23, 2020: Amidst all gloom due to corona and subsequent lockdown, Tripura Government brings a good news for State farmers. The Government has given nod to a pilot project for transportation of crops grown the State through refrigerated parcel vans of trains to other State. This project will benefit farmers especially Horti-cultivators in a great extent.
Speaking about the pilot project, State Education Minister Ratanlal Nath said, two trains, namely, Agartala- Kolkata Kanchanjunga Express and Agartala- Delhi Tripura Sundari Express would be used for transporting state’s crops specially pineapple and lemon in refrigerated parcel vans.
“The cost for Kanchanjunga Express and Tripura Sundari Express will be Rs. 1,08,233 and Rs. 1,46,000 respectively. The refrigerated parcel vans will have capacity to carry 17 MT each,” Nath told the Media.
With commencement of this pilot project, the sale graph of crops produced in the state would increase and the farmers would receive more profits, the Education minister said adding that earlier only air cargo or surface transport was being used for this purpose. Now, the project would substantially reduce the transportation cost, he added.
The state government already held discussion with Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) for starting this project and the selection of service provider would be done through tendering, he added.
In today’s State cabinet meeting, another major decision has been taken to provide one-time financial assistance of Rs. 1000 to 12000 people of unorganized sectors.
In the unorganized sectors, there are many motor workers, rickshaw pullers, Bidi workers, cobblers, laundry workers, fishermen, carpenters, blacksmiths, pottery, Scheduled Castes traditionally with sanitation workers (Harijan), barbers and handloom workers who are not receiving the social pension now. As per the cabinet decision, now selected 12000 beneficiaries of these unorganized sectors whose annual income is below Rs. 1 lakh would receive the one-time financial assistance, Nath told the Media.
In another note, talking about Covid19 in Tripura situation, the Education Minister said, the state government has launched a drive for rapid antibody test in Udaipur, Damcherra and Satnala today.
As many as 3700 kits for rapid antibody tests have been provided in various districts and 150 sample collection centres have been opened, he told the Media.
The second patient of COVID19 in Tripura has been found negative in consecutive tests. The sample of the patient, a TSR jawan, would be tested again tomorrow. If the test result comes negative this time, he would be released from the treatment centre, Nath told the Media.
Notably, the first COVID19 patient had already been discharged from the hospital and placed in quarantine.
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