Special trains moving 77,000 lakh tonne grain out of Punjab daily

Each train has a carrying capacity of 2,500 to 3,000 tonnes.

Nearly 77,000 lakh tonnes of wheat and rice is being transported out of Punjab in special freight trains everyday to various states to deal with the rising demand for grains amid the ongoing lockdown to contain the coronavirus outbreak.

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Each train has a carrying capacity of 2,500 to 3,000 tonnes.

On Thursday, 38 such wagons carried 1.15 lakh tonnes of grains of the state, the highest since the movement of grains that started on April 1 after the Centre announced to double the quota of foodgrains to 80 crore beneficiaries under the Public Distribution System (PDS). Now, each beneficiary will get 30kg highly subsidised ration.

Till April 1, the authorities in Punjab were worried as the state’s godowns with a total storage capacity of 240 lakh tonne were to receive 135 lakh tonne more wheat in the rabi season. The warehouses are nearly full to the brim with 190 lakh tonnes stored.

“We still have large stocks with us. The good thing is that a significant amount of grains is being moved out of the state for PDS. Such fast movement of foodgrains in the state is being witnessed after several years,” said principal secretary (food and civil supplies) KAP Sinha.