Darjeeling: The civil aviation ministry’s decision to grant freight subsidy to Indian Airlines for the Bagdogra-New Delhi route is not helping hill farmers much.
In a letter to Dawa Narbula recently, the Congress MP from Darjeeling, civil aviation minister Praful Patel said the new rate has been introduced keeping in mind hill florists and cultivators.
“Indian Airlines has introduced special commodity rate for cut flowers on Bagdogra-Delhi sector at Rs 12.05 per kg,” the letter — DO No. AV 18011/56/2007-IA — reads.
Though floriculture is a thriving business, especially in Kalimpong and Mirik, the discount is not helping. For one, most florists send their produce to Calcutta, instead of Delhi, where they have their agents. Second, a number of florists with whom The Telegraph spoke to maintain that the cost of the 12-hour train ride is Rs 200/Rs 250 for 35kg of flower (which comes to around Rs 6 per kg).
“This amount is inclusive of the transport cost from Kalimpong. The discount would have been attractive had it been Rs 7 per kilogram,” said Bishnu Chhetri, a florist.
Though most cultivators maintain that it is difficult to export cut flowers to overseas market because of the difficulties in maintaining high quality at all times, a section does send bulbs, tubers and saplings to far-off lands.
“For that, we don’t have to go to Delhi for most of us have agents in Calcutta. Even if the prices are very attractive in the Bagdogra-Delhi sector, it will be difficult to come out of the set chain,” said Mahindra Pradhan of Ganesh Mani Pradhan and Sons, a nursery in Kalimpong, which sends its produce to markets in the US, UK and Germany.
“If this is the case, then I will ask the minister to extend the discount to the Bagdogra-Calcutta sector,” Narbula said over phone from Delhi.
