Farmers Movement Archive

Won’t resume trains in Punjab with conditions, says railways

The impasse between the Centre and Punjab over resumption of train services continues with the railway ministry claiming that the state government has agreed to a ‘conditional resumption’ wherein only good trains will be allowed. The ministry said it will not resume any trains until the state government gives complete assurance of no interference along the tracks.”Even though the tracks have been cleared more or less we have been told some protestors are still loitering around. This is very unsafe and we can’t run trains till complete assurance is given of no interference. There are about 20 such locations where we have been informed of presence of some protestors...It would lead to unacceptable implications,” a senior official said. Trains have been suspended in the state for over a month from September 25 due to the agitation over farm bills, cleared by the Centre during the monsoon session of Parliament. Punjab is also facing critical shortage of coal stock across power plants leading to massive power cuts due to the prolonged suspension of goods trains by the railways. “Railways is ready to immediately resume both passenger and goods trains at the same time . However, assurance of safety of its operations and track clearance is being sought for resumption of services for both passenger and goods trains . It was being indicated that tracks were open for goods train only and not for passenger trains,” a railway ministry spokesperson said. Cooperation minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, however, said the railways were just making flimsy excuses to continue with the suspension of rail services to Punjab. “All train tracks in the state are clear, but they are still not resuming the trains because the Modi government wants to punish the farmers and the state government for opposition the farm laws. The farmers are exercising their democratic right by holding peaceful protests. The state government has repeatedly given assurance of security to railways, but they have not budged,” said Randhawa who is a part of the three-member panel of cabinet ministers holding talks with the protesting farmers. A joint team of state government officials and the director general of the Railway Protection Force was formed to review the situation in the state. Amid tussle between the Centre and the Punjab state government over allowing the passage of trains in the state, the Indian Railways has claimed losses of nearly Rs 1,200 crore in freight revenue with more than 2,225 goods trains suspended and 1,350 passenger trains cancelled and diverted till last week. According to railways’ data, nearly 70 trains are affected per day, in total 1,373 passenger trains have had to be cancelled and diverted leading to losses of Rs 45 crore due to cancellation of the passenger trains. Punjab farmers, meanwhile, have been invited to Delhi on November 13 to meet senior ministers in a bid to end the ongoing impasse between them and the railways, and restore train services in the state. The meeting is expected to take place between a delegation of the protesting farmers and defence minister Rajnath Singh, agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar and railways minister Piyush Goyal.

Hindustan Times

12-11-2020

Chandigarh