GOODWILL GESTURE An order, marked to all zonal managers, reads that no freight will be charged on transportation of relief material sent to stations in Kerala
LUDHIANA : The ministry of railways has decided to provide free transportation of relief material to flood-hit Kerala. The order, marked to general managers of all zones, was released by the ministry on Saturday.
The order read that no freight is to be charged for transportation of relief material to all the stations in Kerala and no ancillary charges such as demurrage/wharfage or others will also be charged.
The order also mentions that the consigner can send the material, of whatever volume, through parcel vans in passenger trains or can also book intrastate coaching trains.
“All government organisations in the country can transport the relief material free of cost and other organisations, as deemed fit by divisional railway magistrate, may also avail this provision,” read the order. The order will remain effective till August 31 or till further order.
An official of the commercial department of the railways said that if any individual or an unregistered non-government organisation wants to avail this facility, the consigner or consignee should be a district magistrate or deputy commissioner in whose jurisdiction the dispatching/receiving station is situated. “It will ensure that no contraband is being transported in the name of relief material,” he said.
He added that the consigners can go to the goods shed if they want to book a goods train and if they want to send a parcel, they can approach the parcel booking office.
The consigner must fill a forwarding note by mentioning the details of the material being transported. This forwarding note will be available at the booking office, he said.