Krishi Udan Scheme 2.0 to transport agri-produce via air freight

The Krishi Udan Scheme 2.0 was announced last year for enhancing the existing provisions, focusing on the transportation of perishable food products from the hilly regions, Northeast regions and tribal areas through air transportation. It would facilitate the movement of agri-produce through air transportation. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) provides a complete waiver of landing, parking, Terminal Navigational Landing Charges (TNLC) and Route Navigation Facility Charges (RNFC) for Indian freight services and Passenger-to-Cargo (P2C) aircraft, with around 25 airports focusing on North Eastern region, hilly and tribal areas in India and another 28 airports in different regions. The Krishi Udan Scheme 2.0 is a convergence where eight ministries and departments would support their existing schemes to strengthen the logistics for the transportation of agri-produce.The ministries and departments include the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Department of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Ministry of Development of North-eastern Region. Under the scheme, 29 Indian states are covered, including Andaman and Nicobar, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Kerala, Ladakh, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal. All the airports in the North-Eastern states like Assam and others are covered under this scheme.The Krishi Udan Scheme 2.0 aims at increasing the share of air carriage in the modal mix for transporting agri-produce, including horticulture, fishery, livestock and processed products. It ensures seamless, cost-effective, time-bound air transportation and associated logistic services for all agri-produce originating from the North-East regions, hilly and tribal regions. Image Source Also read: Civil aviation ministry to privatise 25 more AAI airports across India