PM to virtually flag off 100th Kisan Rail from Maha to WB on Dec 28

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the 100th Kisan Rail from Sangola in Maharashtra to Shalimar in West Bengal on December 28 at 4:30 pm via video conferencing, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) informed on Saturday.

Union Ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and Piyush Goyal will also be present on the occasion.

The multi-commodity train service will carry vegetables such as cauliflower, capsicum, cabbage, drumsticks, chillies, onion, as well as fruits like grapes, oranges, pomegranate, banana, custard apple etc. Loading and unloading of perishable commodities will be permitted at all en route stoppages with no bar on size of the consignment.

The Government of India has extended a subsidy of 50 per cent on transportation of fruits and vegetables, the PMO informed.

The first Kisan Rail was introduced from Devlali in Maharashtra to Danapur in Bihar on August 7 this year which was further extended up to Muzaffarpur. Its frequency was later increased from weekly to three days a week.