‘Suspension of trains hurting industry’

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 3

SAD’s Trade and Industry wing slammed the Centre for its indifferent attitude towards the plight of farmers. They said the farmers’ agitation was causing harm to the trade and industry.

Its members called upon the Union Government to immediately resume the operation of goods trains and initiate sincere talks with the agitating farmers groups to end the stalemate.

Rajinder Singh Marwaha, senior Vice-president of the SAD’s Trade and Industry wing, said the policies of Narendra Modi government were not only weakening the farmers but also the economy of the state.

He said its chain effect was visible on the industry and trade and added that the industry was tottering on the brink of closure for the want of raw material. As a result, labourers were rendered jobless. It was the second closure of the industry after the epic long closure during the lockdown imposed in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak.

Marwaha elaborated that steel and iron formed 70 per cent of the entire raw material utilised in the industry in the state. They are used in spare parts of cycles, autos, tractors, agriculture appliances and many other industries. Both iron and steel come from outside the state. These have not been arriving for the past nearly a month, indicating that these industries may come to a halt anytime.

He said industrialists and traders were compelled to raise their voice against the Centre as it was not allowing even goods trains to operate, when the agitating farmers had unequivocally announced that they would not stop goods trains. He said the Centre had even stopped the rural development fund of Rs 1,050 crore which were issued in lieu of procuring paddy and wheat.