Several farmers’ organisations in Maharashtra, including the Swatantra Bharat Party, Jan Sansad Organisation and People’s Helpline, will launch a sit-in protest on October 7 in front of the Ahmednagar District Collector’s office, demanding the resumption of Kisan Rail services. The protest will be led by Anil Ghanwat, national president of the Swatantra Bharat Party, alongside other farmer leaders.
The Kisan Rail services, which the Centre launched to help farmers transport their perishable produce to markets across the country quickly and at low cost, were discontinued recently, said Ghanwat. Farmers from Ahmednagar, Pune, and Solapur districts, where large quantities of fruits, flowers, and vegetables are grown, have been affected by this, he said
Due to the discontinuation of Kisan Rails and limited space in fast passenger trains, farmers are struggling to ship their produce to markets in northern and eastern States. Many passenger trains have only half a coach dedicated to parcels, which is often filled with industrial goods such as steel and automobile parts from major cities, leaving no space for agricultural goods. As a result, farmers’ produce is left behind, spoiling and causing financial losses, he said.
Charging huge fees
Adding to the farmers’ woes, contractors handling parcel loading are reportedly charging inflated fees for priority placement, further increasing the burden on farmers.
To address these issues, the protesting organisations are calling on the Railway Ministry to immediately resume the Kisan Rail services and introduce new services where necessary. They are also demanding that each fast passenger train include a dedicated coach exclusively for agricultural produce, especially in regions without Kisan Rail services.