Indian Railways Plans to Hire Farmers in Arid Areas of these States

Farmers in the arid states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Uttar Pradesh will be hired as maintenance operators of traction substations (TSAs), which serve as electricity feeders to railway lines. The plan, which is part of the government's effort to double farm income, will be implemented in areas of the country with non-arable land.

Farmers in these three states will receive a 50 MW substation capacity, to begin with, followed by a 15 GW substation capacity distributed across the country.

71 percent of Indian Railways' 64,689 route km of broadgauge network has already been electrified, with the national transporter aiming for 100 percent electrification by December 2023.

Farmers will be able to maintain their TSAs, solar panels, and other equipment for a fee of around 20-30 paise per unit, according to a senior official.

"This will help farmers earn more than double their current 30,000-40,000 per acre income in those areas, to 1 lakh per acre. It will be a win-win situation for both parties because farmers will earn more money and railway TSAs will receive proper maintenance," the official said.

In addition, Indian Railways previously launched Kisan Rail with the goal of assisting the farming community, and it has proven to be the most game-changing initiative in terms of advancing farmer prosperity.

According to a statement released by the Central Railway, the introduction of Kisan Rail provided farmers in Maharashtra with access to larger and new markets for their produce, as well as quick transportation, zero waste, and a 50% subsidy.

Since the introduction of the first Kisan Rail on August 7, 1,62,881 tonnes of perishable farm produce such as fruits and vegetables have been transported in 486 Kisan Rail trips by Central Railway.

Kisan Rail has become an engine of growth and prosperity for the people of rural Maharashtra, impacting the lives of farmers and yielding good revenue with larger markets, good prices for produce, quick transportation, and minimal waste.