Harish Rawat slams Centre for not resuming goods trains in Punjab

Congress general secretary Harish Rawat on Monday hit out at the Centre for not resuming goods trains in Punjab despite farmers clearing all rail tracks and said it was an "injustice" to the state.

The Railways on Saturday declined to resume goods trains in Punjab, saying it will either operate both freight and passenger trains or none.

The train services in Punjab are suspended since September 24, when farmers started their "rail roko" agitation against three recently enacted central farm laws.

Goods trains resumed briefly after farmer unions announced on October 21 that they would be exempted from their rail blockade. However, the Railways suspended the trains again, saying farmers are still blocking the tracks.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a party event here, Rawat said farmers have lifted their 'dharna' from rail tracks in the state following an appeal from Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.

"Despite this the central government has not resumed freight trains in Punjab," he said.

Rawat also said the Punjab government and the Congress fully support the farmers opposing the "anti-farmer" laws.

The government should listen to the farmers' voices, said Rawat, also the Punjab Congress affairs in-charge.

The suspension of goods trains has led to a power crisis as the supply of coal to thermal plants in Punjab has been hit.

It has also adversely affected the supply of fertilisers for rabi crops, movement of foodgrain stocks besides impacting the state industry, which is unable to get raw material and send finished goods outside.