The East Coast Railway(ECoR) on Monday said it has taken concrete steps for transporting essential commodities such as food grains, coal and petroleum products to ensure their uninterrupted supply during the 21-day lockdown to contain the spread of COVI-19.Keeping in view the necessity of different articles, ECoR has taken a 21-day challenge ensuring uninterrupted supply of coal to different power plants across the country along with foodgrains, petroleum products and other essential commodities, it said in a statement.People in different places of the country especially in the southern part of India, get rice from the market or through public distribution.Rice during this period is mostly supplied from areas under ECoR jurisdiction, it said.Rice is being loaded at Hirakud, Balangir, Bargarh and Dungripali stations and sent towards Sarai, Katihar, Tata, Karpoorigram, Tatisilwai/Namkon, Jasidih/Madhupur and Dumka.From March 22 to 28, rice was loaded in 6 goods trains from ECoR jurisdiction and sent to different destinations, it said.Similarly, Coal from Talcher area, Paradip, Visakhapatnam and Dhamra have been sent to various power generation plants located in different states of the country.Since March 22, altogether 1,012 trains carrying essential commodities have been transported from ECoR jurisdiction towards different destinations of the country.These include 649 trains of coal, eight trains of Rice, 23 trains of petroleum products, seven trains of fertiliser and 325 trains of other essential products, the ECoR statement said.These apart, essential commodities like sugar, edible oil, milk products have been received by this Railway at different unloading points.ECoRs concept is You Stay Safe at Home, We bring Essential Commodities to You, it said.The warriors of ECoR such as loco-pilots, assistant loco pilots, guards, station masters, token porters, goods clerks and other staff from asset maintenance categories like signalling, electrical, mechanical, engineering, security are working round the clock to ensure supply of essential commodities to the people in different parts of the country, it said.Steps have been taken to ensure social distancing and other precautions for workers engaged at goods sheds, it added.
