DRM speaks on ‘rail-roko’ call by the farmers
Focus on inconvenience to common man is more important, avers DRM Nr. Rly.
Ferozepur, October 9, 2020: The focus on inconvenience to the common man is more important and loss and profit are part of life and it hardly makes any difference, said Divisional Rail Manager, Ferozepur Division, Rajesh Aggarwal while commenting on the impact of on-going agitation by the farmers for withdrawal of the three Farm Bills.
The railways had already suspended the special passenger trains as a precautionary measure on a call by the farmer outfits for rail roko morcha on the rail tracks. After migrating the workers to their home towns, even otherwise, the train services were suspended due to lockdown, in the wake of the spread of Covid-19.
Speaking on this occasion, DRM Rajesh Aggarwal said, first of all, we should understand that we are working in a democratic system. The farmers who have started their ‘rail roko’ agitation from September 24 at two places - Amritsar and Ferozepur permanently and at certain other places during the day time and the railways had already withdrawn the special passengers' trains as a precautionary measure. But some good trains, till September 30, were operating on some diverted routes and transporting the essential commodities during the night time.
DRM said, As you all know, the farmers protest from October 1, the protests had extended sit-in dharna at 15 places in the division and in the whole of Punjab at 30 places including few places of Ambala Division, the train's operations have to be suspended which has affected the supplies of essential commodities in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir as well.
He further added that in this context, our Chief Minister had himself already made an appeal to the farmers to allow the movement of good trains for transportation of essential commodities. In the existing situation, the coal storage for production of power has gone down to the desired level and there are chances to close down the thermal plants. Likewise, the fertilizer and other inputs required for the agriculture sector could not be made available and in Jammu and Kashmir, the petroleum products could not be supplied. In case the present situation continued for more some time, obviously, the people will have to face a lot of problems.
DRM categorically said, the revenue loss to the railway is a secondary issue and of less important, the most important is an inconvenience to the public. Ultimately, the piled-up stocks will have to be transported sooner or later even the foodgrains from the godowns by the FCI and railway will have its share of revenue, the only problem is of inconvenience to the public.
The difference is only of intensity as earlier we were transporting in normal course but now due to stagnation in the chain of supplies due to non-transportation of goods which we will speed up when the agitation is lifted but presently it is causing inconvenience to the public, he added.
My focus is on the inconvenience to the common man. But loss and profit are part of life and it hardly makes any difference, said DRM.