TAD NewsDesk, Punjab: Northern Railways has issued a press note on November 5 stating that a group of leaders have “apprised” railway minister, Piyush Goyal and requested him to restore the railway services. It also added that the department of railways has asked the Punjab government to “get the rail track and railway properties cleared of the agitators” and then they will be able to make the railways functional.
The Punjab chief minister, however, has already made it clear in an address to the people in the protest dharna on November 4. He said no farm union is causing any ruckus at the railway lines and it is only the private power plants branch lines they are putting up demonstrations upon.
Darshan Pal of Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) said,
“We (the 31 farmer organisations spearheading protests in Punjab) have blocked railway lines at only three places as of now. All three locations are branch lines of private companies. This has been done to cut the supply of coal to private power plants.”
The rail roko (occupy the rail tracks) agitation was officially lifted on October 22. Pal said, “Since then we have not been obstructing the movement of any goods or passenger trains into Punjab,” he also added that their now their mode of protest will be on the roads outside the railway station.
Losses for both Railways and the State
Ashutosh Gangal, general Manager of Northern Railway said that the department has suffered a loss of Rs 1,200 crore till November 3 because of the ongoing farmers’ protests.
Mr Gangol said,
“Thirty-three locomotives are also stuck at different locations in Punjab. The farmers’ agitation is severely affecting the supply of coal to power plants and food grain to the rest of the country as well as fertiliser, POL and containers.”
On the thread of losses, Punjab CM Amarinder Singh also added that the state was also destitute with a shortage of coal for its power plants, fertilizers and packaging materials for its food products.
Moreover, he said this has started affecting the neighbouring states like Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and troops stationed in Ladakh equally.
The non functioning of the goods train has resulted in a lot of chaos and severe threat to the economy of Punjab.
There has been an impasse between the railway department and the farmers. While the farmers say that they are not blocking the tracks anymore and the railways are firm on their assertion that railways cannot function without the abatement of the disruption.
Source: The Wire
