Civil Aviation Minister launches Krishi UDAN 2.0

Highlights:

• The Ministry of Civil Aviation launched “Krishi Udan 2.0 scheme” on October 27, 2021.
• Under “Krishi Udan 2.0 scheme”, cargo-related infrastructure will be built in airports of hilly, tribal, and north-east regions.
• Such infrastructure will help in assisting farmers to transport agriculture products.
• Central government had launched Krishi Udan scheme in September 2020. 
• Under the scheme, airport charges like parking charges & terminal navigational landing charges were waived off. 
• Charges were waived off if the agricultural cargo is more than 50 % of the total chargeable weight carried.

• Under Krishi Udan 2.0, central government has planned for granting full waiver of airport charges at select airports. 
• Waiver would be given even if agricultural cargo is lower than 50 % of total chargeable weight carried. Centre will also facilitate the development of hub and spoke model across India. 
• Government will also create cargo terminals at the airports in phase-wise manner. 
• Moreover, government will encourage states to reduce sales tax to one per cent on aviation turbine fuel, which is used in freighter aircraft and passenger aircraft for transporting cargo.
• Under the Cargo scheme, cargo terminals will be established at the airports in Agartala, Dibrugarh, Srinagar, Hubbali, Dimapur, Jorhat, Imphal, Silchar, Lilabari, Lucknow, Tirupati, Tezpur, Tirupati and Tuticorin by 2022.
• In between 2022-23, cargo terminals will be established at airports in Ahmedabad, Jharsuguda, Bhavnagar, Mysore, Kozhikode, Rajkot, Puducherry, and Vijayawada.
• The scheme has been launched with the aim of channelising the immense potential of Indian agriculture with logistical help of civil aviation in a bid to achieve the goal of doubling farmers’ income. 
• It will also help in alleviating wastage of farm produce and increase its value.
• e-Kushal platform would be developed under Krishi Udan 2.0 scheme for facilitating information dissemination to stakeholders with respect to transportation of agriculture produce.