The Hubballi Division of the South Western Railway has been able to achieve an increase in its freight movement during the pandemic by carrying more commodities. Essential commodities handled by the division between May and July 2020 is one-and-a-half times more than that compared to the corresponding period of the last fiscal.
Addressing presspersons through a video link in Hubballi on Monday, Divisional Railway Manager Arvind Malkhede said that after the formation of the Business Development Units in the division, more interactions were held with industries, including farm industries. “As a result of these interactions, the division has carried 10 % more freight in August in comparison to the corresponding month of the last financial year,” he said.
Mr. Malkhede said that during the current financial year, inward foodgrains carried by Hubballi Division till August-end was 57.5 lakh quintals against 44.5 lakh quintals carried during the last year, an increase of 30 %. Inward fertilizers carried during the current financial year was 47.1 lakh quintals against 41.7 lakh quintals during the last year, a growth of 13 %.
He said that during the lockdown period, no demurrage charges were levied and the busy season surcharge at a rate of 15 % on all goods traffic had been withdrawn on October 1, 2019. A single all-India contact helpline number —139 — with option 6 for Freight and Parcel Queries had been introduced, he said.
Listing out the various discounts, relaxations and incentives offered by the division as directed by the Railway Board, Mr. Malkhede said that there had been a 10 % increase of freight carried by Hubballi Division during August 2020 when compared to last year. He said that the schemes and relaxations had turned out be a win-win situation for both freight customers and the Railways.
Mr. Malkhede was accompanied by Additional Divisional Railway Manager S.K. Jha, Additional Divisional Railway Manager Vishvas Kumar, Deputy General Manager and Chief Public Relations Officer E. Vijaya and others during the virtual press conference.