Railways to transport relief materials to flood-hit NE states free of cost

Source: https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/assam-flood-railways-relief-materials-assam-free-several-dead-affected-2022-06-27-787821

Publisher: India Tv

Assam flood: Railways will transport all relief materials to the flood-affected northeastern states free of cost, officials said on Monday. The free transportation will be applicable for inter-state and intra-state aid and relief materials by parcel vans or second class, luggage-cum-guard van and goods trains, North East Frontier Railways spokesperson said here.

All types of freight charges have been waived off for the purpose from any part of the country to the region and no ancillary charges like demurrage, wharfage or others will be charged for the transportation of relief materials, he said.

Less than standard composition rakes can be booked with relief materials for the flood-affected region and non-governmental organisations can send relief materials free of cost to the flood-affected areas of the region like those of the government.

NGOs would, however, require proper approval from the divisional railway managers, who have been empowered to take decisions on any further additional facilities, including attaching additional coaches or vans to various northeast-bound trains.

In the case of NGOs, the consignor or consignee must be the district magistrate or deputy commissioner in whose jurisdiction the dispatching or the receiving station is situated, the spokesperson added. 

The NDRF has deployed a team of three women rescuers for undertaking flood rescue duties in Assam, making it one of the first operations where female combatants of the federal contingency force have been tasked to handle a major disaster. 

Constables O Indrani Devi, Alpana Das and Rekha Devi are rescuing the marooned and providing food, medicines, water and other relief material to the affected in Silchar, the headquarter of Cachar district, a senior NDRF officer said.