Residents, traders get a breather

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, November 24

Residents, industrialists and farmers have a reason to cheer as rail services resumed from Tuesday.

Four trains — Golden Temple Mail from Mumbai, Paschim Express from Bandra, Sachkhand Express from Nanded and Flying Mail from New Delhi — reached Jalandhar station. Owing to blockade by Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee near tracks in Amritsar, Golden Temple Mail reached the holy city via Tarn Taran.

Industrialists, especially engaged in hand tools, sports goods and electronics and electrical trading, said their parcels, stuck up at various locations, started arriving from Tuesday.

The resumption of the freight trains also brought smiles on the faces of potato and wheat farmers of the areas as they said there would be no shortage of urea for their crops, which severely need a second dose of the fertiliser these days.

As per the information available from the District Agriculture Department, there was a need of around 63420-MT urea for the crops of Rabi season but due to non-operation of trains, the district had shortage of around 17950- MT Urea. Urea is one of key fertiliser which provides nitrogen to the plants and promotes growth and yield of the crop the plants and promotes growth and yield of the crop.

The farmers were facing problems in getting the urea and were concerned about their growth, especially of potatoes and wheat in Jalandhar. A farmer Satnam Singh of Hardo Pharala village said there was an immediate need of urea’s second dose to his crops but he was not receiving the fertiliser from the market according to his requirement.

He said that now the operation of goods trains would ensure the availability of the urea in the market and there would not be any loss of crop’s yield. He thanked the state government for its consistent efforts with the Union Government over the resuming of the trains in the state.

Farmer Jagjeet Singh from Lallian Kalan village who sows potatoes of 50-acre said he, along with other farmers, was visiting the market regularly to procure the urea but to no avail. He said that uncertainty had now been resolved and within a day, the urea would reach the market.

A sigh of relief

According to the district Agriculture Department, there was a need of 63420-MT urea for crops of Rabi season, but due to non-operation of trains, the district had a shortage of 17950-MT urea. Satnam Singh of Hardo Pharala village said there was an immediate need of urea's second dose to his crops but he was not receiving the fertiliser from the market according to his requirement. Another farmer Jagjeet Singh from Lallian Kalan village, said he was visiting the market regularly to procure urea, but to no avail. He said the uncertainty had now been resolved and within a day, the urea would reach the market.