Industry expresses gratitude to farmers for allowing train movement in state

Shivani Bhakoo
Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, November 24

After suffering huge losses to the tune of around Rs 22,000 crore due to the agitation against farm laws in the recent past, the local industry today expressed gratitude towards farmers, who have finally allowed the train movement in the state.

Though many Industrialists have still crossed fingers that farmers must not change their stand and the train movement must not be halted again, the industrialists gathered together and appealed to the farmers to realise the tough times being faced by the industry due to ongoing farm agitation.

With the passenger and freight trains having started its operation in the state after almost two months, the Industry heaved a sigh of relief and said it would help increase the production and boost the economy of the the state.

KK Garg, president, Induction Furnace Association of North India, accompanied by other industrialists, thanked the state government for taking up the issue with the Central Government. Industrialists also expressed gratitude to the Centre and farmers for accepting the request of Captain Amarinder Singh for the betterment of the state.

Garg said Covid-19 had severely affected the business and now they were happy that train services had resumed.

“We will get the raw material and boost production,” he said.

He said trains had resumed and the prices of steel, scrap and other raw materials have already started dropping, which was a big relief to the industries.

Several industrial organisations had sent written representations to both central and state governments for putting an end to the deadlock between farmers and the government. They had appealed and even met farmer leaders to resolve the issue as the industry always stands by the farmers and it was latter’s turn to reciprocate. The Industry was badly hit, earlier due to Covid and labour shortage and now, due to farm agitation because of which business had come to a standstill in the absence of raw material, stranded consignments at ports, stuck stocks in goods trains,etc. Many industries had even shut operations. But with the movement of trains, they are hopeful of coming back on tracks soon.

The industry was encouraged by the state government to make an appeal to the farmers and express their gratitude for allowing the train movement in the state.

“The state government fears that none of the farmer organisations should take a U-turn from their stand of allowing trains to run else the situation may become out of control,” said an industrialist.

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