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Srinagar, Dec 21 (IANS) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday congratulated the railway authorities as the first foodgrain freight train of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) reached the Kashmir Valley.

Speaking on the development, the Office of the J&K Chief Minister said on X: “Chief Minister congratulates @Drm_Jammu as, for the first time, a foodgrain freight train of the Food Corporation of India reached Kashmir today, with the first rice rake placed at the Anantnag goods shed.”

The rake comprises 21 wagons carrying about 1,384 tonnes of rice for buffer stock and public distribution. The Chief Minister said this will ensure faster transit, reduce pressure on National Highway-44, and strengthen the foodgrain supply chain for the Kashmir Valley.

It may be mentioned that in a major boost to food security and logistics in Kashmir, the first-ever Food Corporation of India foodgrain freight train reached the Anantnag Goods Terminal on Sunday, marking a new chapter in rail-based supplies to the Valley.

The train, dispatched from Ajitwal railway station in Punjab's Firozpur Division, is carrying about 1,384 tonnes of foodgrains loaded in 21 covered wagons.

Officials said the move will help ensure uninterrupted supplies, particularly to far-flung and remote areas of Kashmir.

The Anantnag Goods Terminal, inaugurated on August 9 this year under the Jammu Division of Northern Railway, has so far handled cement rakes and other industrial and mixed goods.

The arrival of the first foodgrain rake adds a critical component to its operations. Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Jammu Division, Uchit Singhal said rail transportation of foodgrains would ensure faster, cheaper and more reliable supplies.

"This will help maintain uninterrupted availability of foodgrains, especially in remote areas of the Valley, while reducing transportation costs," the senior divisional manager said.

The arrival of the train service to the Kashmir Valley has not only eased passenger and goods pressure on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, but the rail link has also ended the uncertainty of passenger and goods movement into the Kashmir Valley caused by rain and inclement weather, which often leads to highway closures for days.

--IANS

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