Source: Hindustan Times
The farmers, under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), laid siege to tracks at the Shambhu railway station on the Punjab-Haryana border on April 17 demanding release of three farm activists arrested by the Haryana Police. This has forced the railways to cancel, divert or short-terminate both goods and passenger trains. According to railway officials, more than 3,400 trains have been affected due to farmers’ blockade in the last 22 days.
It has been 85 days since the farmers, marching towards Delhi demanding legal guarantee on MSP, blocked the Shambhu barrier, and 20 days since they laid siege to the Ambala-Ludhiana rail track near the site.
Due to the blockade, the coal supplies to five thermal power plants in the Punjab has been affected. Thermal plants run by Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) and private players get 17 to 20 rakes of coal through special freight trains per day.
“Due to the blockade, the PSPCL is suffering a loss of ₹50 lakhs to ₹1 crore daily as freight trains bringing coal are being rerouted. While trains carrying coal for Talwandi Sabo and Lehra Mohabbat thermal plants are being rerouted through Rajasthan and Haryana, coal rakes for Ropar and Rajpura plants are being sent via Chandigarh,” said a PSPCL officials not wishing to be named. The Goindwal Sahib thermal plant has not received coal for the past three days, the official added.
The official quoted above said though coal stocks in government-run power plants is sufficient, the 1,980MW Talwandi Sabo Power Plant, the biggest in Punjab, needs regular supply of coal.
The rail routes are congested due to the movement of foodgrains from Punjab and coal rakes for Punjab have been stopped in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, the official added. “Before the monsoon, we have to maintain a coal stock of 30 to 40 days in every thermal plant. The blockade is not only hitting the coal supplies, but also increasing the freight cost due to rerouting, which ultimately will pass on to the consumers,” said another PSPCL official requesting anonymity.
The industry and trading community of Punjab is already counting their losses due to the rail blockade. The All Industries and Trade Forum (AITF) has termed the farmers’ protest anti-Punjab as it is causing loss to the business community.
