The farm laws enacted by the central government are not finding favor from Punjabi farmers who claim that their minimum support price (MSP) will not be ensured. To raise the volume of their displeasure, they chose to block railway tracks. The Chief Minister of the state, Captain Amarinder Singh has passed bills that stand against the central government laws.
Appreciating the plight of Punjabis, the farmers agreed to let freight trains ply through the state. The centre retorted that if both the freight and the passenger trains will ply, then the freight trains will resume duty.
Punjab’s industries are being killed by a thousand cuts by the Centre’s reluctance to resume the freight trains.
It is worth reminding that the six-month lockdown that had to be put in place because of the Corona Virus too brought the businesses to a standstill. When there was a hope of the industries recovering in Punjab, the stalemate on the freight trains is making the closing down of the businesses a possibility.
The losses incurred so far run into huge figures.
Corona and protests against farm laws combined have caused Rs 40,000 crore loss amid loans of Rs 2.48 lakh crore on the Punjab government
Woolen industry – Rs 12,000 crore worth of hosiery is stuck in Punjab. This supply is already delayed as it was supposed to be handed over to the customers in March-April this year.
Auto parts – The export business has halved. Rs 39,500 crore is the turnover of the industry of which 20 to 30% is for export. Production is also severely hit, being down by 25-30%.
Cattle feed – Rs 10,000 crore worth of this business has been affected.
Sports industry – Rs 5,700 worth of sports goods are stuck in the state.
It is not like that the farmers are immune to any disturbances caused by the freight trains impasse. Raw materials required for successful crops, and their supply too has been disrupted. For instance, 25 lakh ton of urea is required in Punjab for one season of crops.
Furthermore, the power generation plants of Punjab see a dire immediate future because the stocks of coal have not been replenished.
The common man has also been hit hard. The prices of everyday goods have not stopped their rise since the pandemic Corona virus showed up at our doors. It is worth mentioning that the shine of the festive season has been dulled for Punjabis. The goods that are manufactured in other states are expected to become costlier by 30 to 35%, for example make-up products, dry fruits, spices, dairy products.
Moreover, the jobs of individuals in unorganized sector are hanging in the balance.
All in all, it is a pretty grim picture in the state of Punjab. The troubles will take time, but the recovery can begin when the freight trains begin plying.