Impasse causes Rs 4,500-cr losses to Punjab : The Tribune India

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 7

The non-resolution of the farmers’ agitation in New Delhi is costing Punjab closely with cross-sector losses estimated at over Rs 4,500 crore.

Railways loses Rs 2,400 crore

The Railways incurred Rs2,400 crore loss due to the current disruption of trains via Punjab and Haryana. Sources mentioned Rs60 crore loss was due to the disrupted passenger site visitors and the remaining due to the stalled freight site visitors.

Centre pursuing vendetta

Punjab has been ignored of the $7 billion venture through which UAE entities have pledged to arrange three meals parks in India. Punjab has misplaced out though the UAE evinced curiosity to arrange a park within the state. – Manpreet Singh Badal, Punjab Finance minister

Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Badal mentioned as we speak the state was being collectively punished for the protest. “The Centre has adopted a vindictive perspective in the direction of Punjab. We, as a state, are being collectively punished for the agitation by farmers. I’m deeply frightened concerning the sagging morale of our individuals,” Manpreet instructed The Tribune in an unique dialog forward of the eighth spherical of talks between the Centre and farm unions on Friday to resolve the impasse. The 43-day-long protests have brought on widespread disruptions throughout Punjab’s transport sector with items and passenger trains earlier stalled for days as farmers sat on tracks, demanding the repeal of farm legal guidelines.

State authorities sources mentioned the losses due to interruption within the motion of products out and in of Punjab stood at over Rs 4,500 crore as of as we speak and the burden continued to rise.

“Punjab has been ignored of the $7 billion tasks through which UAE entities have pledged to arrange three meals parks in India. The tasks have gone to Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. Punjab has misplaced out though the UAE evinced curiosity to arrange a park within the state, as it’s the closest to them. The Dubai-Amritsar flight is all of 1 hour,” Manpreet mentioned, accusing the Centre of vindictiveness.

Demanding that farm legal guidelines be held in abeyance for six months and recent consultations initiated with farmers, Manpreet mentioned the Centre was placing up a “spectacle of small-heartedness” with its obstinate perspective.

“You want a big coronary heart to govern. But the Government of India is just not even paying Punjab Rs 1,200 crore rural growth payment levied on the acquisition of paddy. This is a statutory tax it has withheld,” the Punjab FM mentioned, including that he was not shocked concerning the lack of belief reposed by the farmers within the Centre. “Who will imagine a authorities that may return on the constitutional assure of paying GST compensation to states and withhold a statutory tax? I’m not shocked the farmers are distrustful of the Centre,” Manpreet mentioned, including that the state was underneath monetary pressure additionally due to meals shares mendacity within the open because the evacuation remained stalled due to the unresolved situation.