Side effect of Farmer agitation: manufacturing decreased by 30% due to border sealing, loss of more than 14 thousand crores to traders

A businessman who runs a printing press on the Singhu border is so scared of the farmers' movement that he is not ready to speak his name. Farmers have been camping in front of their printing unit for the last 35 days. Clippings and waste material are being filled in a truck as they reach their unit. This is the first time in a month that a large vehicle has reached their unit.

His month-long turnover is around eight lakhs, which is now half. His unit employs 12 employees, who will now have to take loans to pay them on time. The tension is visible on his face. He says, "We were recovering from the corona that this disaster had come."

They say, "Half of the labor has to be made to sit at home, but they have to pay their salaries too, because their family will not be hungry." Important National Highways connecting Delhi to Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and further Punjab and other states. The farmers are in possession. Roads are closed for heavy vehicles. Thousands of manufacturing units have been directly affected by the transport affected, which are located in the industrial area on the outskirts of Delhi.

According to traders, there are three big reasons

Transport is not available, which is too expensive. Neither the raw material is coming, nor the finished product is going.

There is a sense of insecurity among the traders, due to which external traders are now unable to reach the market.

The Labor movement has also been affected due to the border being sealed. Workers are reluctant to come to work.

"The biggest problem is transport," says Neeraj Sehgal, general secretary of the Mayapuri Industrial Association. The car which used to go for sixty thousand rupees earlier, is now going up to one lakh 20 thousand rupees. Transport is not available even at expensive rates. '

'Raw material coming from Haryana-Punjab is not coming. We are not able to send finished goods out either. Sometimes the rail is closed, sometimes the road is closed, the entire eco-system has deteriorated. The government is not able to open avenues for commercial traffic. The drivers are also connected to the farmer families in some way. They also come in support of the agitators. '

'35% reduced production'

According to Raj Jain, President of Bawana Chamber of Industries, there are more than 17 thousand factories in Bawana Industrial Area itself. Due to the farmer movement, their production has reduced by 35%. Jain says, "Hundreds of crores of rupees are being lost daily. We are struggling with connectivity. Delhi is tied up. Delhi is cut off from the outer state in a way. Many traders are living in Delhi whose factories are on the outskirts of Delhi. Due to security reasons and traffic jams, traders are unable to even reach their factories. '

Ashish Garg, general secretary of Narela Industrial Complex Welfare Association, says, "Delhi has very little consumption of its own, most of the goods are sent out of here." Outside traders come to the industry and market and buy goods. But now because of the movement, traders are scared about security. They are not able to come to Delhi. He says, 'Due to lack of space in Delhi some parts are made in Delhi and some are made outside. Units are unable to move out of Delhi units due to which work is also affected in Sonepat or other units located in other areas.

Ashish Agarwal, owner of Prestige Cable Industries, which operates in Badli Industrial Area, says, "According to our estimates there is a loss of thirty to thirty-five percent. Due to the lack of dispatch of finished goods, government agencies are also imposing penalty, this is a separate attack which is falling on the producers. The situation has again become like a Covid lockdown for us. This farmer movement is an undeclared lockdown for the industry.

‘Daily loss of 3 thousand crores’

The Confederation of Indian Traders had released the data last week, saying that by December 20, the traders had lost Rs 14,000 crore. At the same time, according to the estimate of The Association of Chambers of Commerce (ASSOCHAM), there is a loss of three-and-a-half thousand crores of rupees daily due to the farmer movement.

It is difficult to give the exact figures of how much damage has been caused to the farmers due to the farmer movement, but all those who have spoken to the businessmen and people associated with the industry association say that manufacturing is affected by 30 to 35%.

Raj Jain says, "As the industry was trying to recover from the Coronavirus impact, the farmer movement created new trouble." Both Rajaht and Baalhat are happening on this issue, where should we go to the traders and talk to whom? Because of this job losses are also happening, which nobody is talking about. The government should give priority to the solution of the peasant movement. '

At the same time, Neeraj Sehgal says, 'My direct question is - if the government has to find a solution to this problem tomorrow then why is it not removing it today. Why is this issue not being given priority? The whole matter is the priority of the government. The government should address this issue today instead of tomorrow. '