Punjab leaders tell minister to resume train services

In an attempt to end the suspension of freight and passenger trains in Punjab, BJP and Congress delegations met the Railway Minister Piyush Goyal and sought his intervention of resuming the rail services.

Chandigarh: Amid the on-going conflict between the Centre and Punjab government over the halting of freight trains due to the farm acts, a BJP delegation and two Congress delegations met the Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal. The meeting comes in the backdrop of the suspension of goods and passenger trains due to the farmers' agitation in Punjab over the contentious farm acts. The party delegations met the minister separately and sought his intervention to resume the rail services and end the 'dire consequences' imposed in Punjab amid the festive season.

However, the Congress Lok Sabha MPS and Rajya Sabha members Partap Singh Bajwa, Ravneet Bittu, Shamsher Singh Dullo, Manish Tiwari, Gurjeet Singh, Aujalla Muhammad, Amar Singh and Santosh Chaudhary met Piyush Goyal separately and discussed the current situation.

Taking it to Twitter, Dullo wrote, "Today Shamsher Singh Dullo Ji and I met with Piyush Goyal Ji to discuss the ongoing suspension of freight services by the Indian Railways in Punjab. We urged the Hon’ble Minister to intervene in this matter and resume the supply of essential goods to the State at the earliest."

The BJP delegation included Union Minister of Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri, National Party Secretary-General Tarun Chug, spokesman RP Singh and Punjab Unity Chairman Ashwani Sharma.

Talking to ETV Bharat after meeting Rajya Sabha MP Pratap Singh Bajwa said that Punjab is an agrarian state and its wheat season. It requires coal and fertilizers. Supply of these affected due to no trains. We have requested railway minister to consider these issues. Bajwa said that he will take up the issue of security of rails with Punjab Chief Minister and well try to ensure that these problems are solved.

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After the meeting, Tarun Chugh said, "We have requested Piyush Goyal Ji to resume the rail services soon. Despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assurance of providing the desired MSP to farmers, the Congress government is politicising the matter and has become a mute spectator. Coal supplies to the thermal power plants were severely affected after the suspension of the operation of freight trains."

Chugh added, "Due to the blockade of the supply of coal, the power supply in the state is likely to be affected. The blockade of the freight trains will impact the national security and soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir may have to face the brunt of it. Considering the economic distress, the state government should resume the operations at the earliest."

Echoing similar views, Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa said that at the time of harvesting, coal is an urgent requirement. But with the suspension of the freight and passenger goods train, the power supply is getting disrupted which is causing difficulties to the farmers and the common man. The supply of essential commodities is also getting affected."

Bajwa added, "We will talk to the Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh that the state and Central govt should reach a break-through.

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