As the ‘farmers’, primarily those from Punjab and Haryana, continue to agitate against the three new farm laws on the border areas of Delhi, the economic activities in Delhi and its neighbouring states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan have come to a halt. The traders body has stated that, as of now, these states have incurred a loss to a tune of Rs 27,000 crore.
Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) said that since the roads connecting the national capital to many neighbouring states remain closed, the supply chain has got disrupted. BC Bhartia, the national president of the traders body and its national general secretary Praveen Khandelwal said the supply of goods to and from Delhi has been ‘greatly affected’ and trucks are having to travel longer via alternate routes except for highways.
The CAIT heads told the news daily Hindustan that the supply of goods coming to Delhi from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and other states of the country has been adversely affected.
Bhartia and Khandelwal informed that every day, almost 50,000 trucks carrying goods and essential supplies enter Delhi from various states while 30,000 trucks leave from Delhi. Not only the arrival of goods to Delhi but also the supply from the national capital to the whole country has been greatly affected due to the ongoing farmers’ agitation, which has almost exceeded a month.
Bhartia and Khandelwal said that even though the trucks are having to take longer alternative routes, the CAIT and the All India Transport Welfare Association (ATWA) are ensuring that the supply of essential commodities continues without any disruption. However, in this situation, it is imperative that the farmer leaders and the government reach a solution as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, the leaders of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha have said they would intensify their agitation if the government did not accede to their demands during the next round of talks on January 4. Darshan Pal, a senior leader of the farmers’ agitation, also said that the boycott of goods and services of certain industrial groups, including petrol pumps and shopping malls run by them, would continue. They also warned that the toll plazas would be picketed on major highways as part of the agitation.
7th round of talks between farmers and the central Govt to be held today
The protesting farmers and the central government will hold the seventh round of talks on Monday. Six rounds of talks have so far failed to end the deadlock. After the 6th round of meeting between the union government and the protesting farmers against the new farm laws, a consensus had been reached on two less continuous among the four demands of the farmers mainly from Punjab. However, the farmers have asserted that they will not end the protests unless their other two demands are also not met, repeal of new farm laws and law on MSP.
