Govt refuses to pay excess Kisan Rail subsidy, Rlys 'writes off' Rs 71 cr

The Railways had to write off Rs 71.86 crore it spent as excess subsidy on Kisan Rail Services last fiscal, after the Ministry of Food Processing Industries refused to bear the additional cost citing a Rs 50-crore ceiling for the initiative, documents show.

According to official data, the Railways spent Rs 121.86 crore as subsidy under the scheme which is more than double the amount of Rs 50 crore sanctioned in 2021-22 by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) for the pro-farmer initiative.

The national transporter was forced to "write off" the excess expenditure of Rs 71.86 crore after the MoFPI -- the nodal ministry for implementing the 'Operation Greens - TOP to total' scheme under which Kisan Rails operate -- deciding not to reimburse the outstanding amount.

Under the scheme, a 50 per cent subsidy is offered directly to farmers and traders on railway transportation charges for fruits and vegetables. A ceiling of Rs 50 crore was set by the MoFPI as subsidy for the las