Guwahati, Jan 09, 2025, IANS

Guwahati, Jan 9 (IANS) The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has stepped up the supply of essentials, food grains, fertiliser, transport fuel, coal and other items to the mountainous northeastern states, including the trouble-torn Manipur, officials said here on Wednesday. NFR Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO), Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, said that the NFR in its commitment towards ensuring the supply of both essential and non-essential commodities to every corner of the region under its jurisdiction, successfully unloaded 1,184 freight-carrying rakes in December 2024. This marked the highest number of rakes unloaded in a single month during the 2024-25 fiscal, bringing the total count of unloaded rakes to 9,404 by the end of December 2024, he said. The CPRO said that the NFR has transported goods, including essential ones like Food Corporation of India (FCI) rice, sugar, salt, edible oil, foodgrains, fertiliser, transport fuel, coal and other items during the month (December) and unloaded them in different goods sheds within its jurisdiction. According to the CPRO, during the month of December (2024), a total of 638 rakes of freight-carrying trains were unloaded in Assam, of which 314 were loaded with essential commodities. In all 98 rakes in Tripura, 15 rakes in Nagaland, 13 rakes in Arunachal Pradesh, four rakes in Manipur and 10 rakes in Mizoram were unloaded during December. Moreover, 211 freight rakes in West Bengal and 195 freight rakes in Bihar were also unloaded last month (December) within the jurisdiction of NFR. Sharma said that speedy execution of doubling works at important sections, and advanced terminal handling facilities has led to increased inward and outward movement of freight transportation. Continuous monitoring at all levels has also resulted in a reduction in turnaround time and has increased unloading efficiency. This results in increased movement of essential and other commodities in addition to growth in freight unloading, the official added. The NFR, which operates in the northeastern states and in seven districts of West Bengal and five districts of north Bihar, with more than 6,400 km of tracks in its jurisdiction.