Lucknow: For farmers who could not sell their fruits and vegetables due to the lockdown, the ‘Setu’ helpline is a rescuer.
Started by Indian Railway Traffic Services (IRTS), Setu helped a farmer in Chamrajnagar district of Karnataka transport three tonnes of cabbage grown by him reach community kitchens in Chennai. He initiated the process after he found that there were no loading vans while he was desperate to lose his produce sown over 3.5 acres.
Now, Konkan farmers are ready to transport oranges, pomegranates and melons from Nagpur, Sangli and Solapur after the helpline made them transport tonnes of Alphonso mangoes to various parts of the country.
Having a 24×7 helpline, 84488448477, as its mainstay, the IRTS fraternity explained the initiative was a Setu or bridge that aims to plug the gaps in the supply chain of essential items due to the lockdown. The acronym otherwise stands for Swift and Efficient Transportation of Utilities.
It was launched on April 15 and has since received more than 3,000 calls.
The best part about the service is that any individual wanting to send or receive parcel but facing difficulty can call the helpline number. The helpline calls are answered by IRTS probationers who have a parcel guide ready for the caller.
