A ray of hope was seen by the residents, traders and industry owners of Haryana and Punjab states suffering huge loss since past about 184 days due to closure of highway at Punjab and Haryana border Shambhu, where farmers from Punjab are protesting since 10th February this year demanding to move to Delhi in support of their demands, when Haryana government sealed the border deploying police force and paramilitary staff as a result people in trade and industry, transporters and travelling passengers on this route are suffering a lot since past several months. Those suffering due to the sealed border were shocked when the Haryana state government moved a writ in the Supreme Court of India in protest of the High Court decision to open the sealed border. Now after the recent Supreme Court direction to open a part of the highway enabling emergency services are not affected residents of both states may find relief to some extent.
Shambhu on Haryana and Punjab border is an important transit place and the meeting point between Delhi and Jammu-Kashmir and for the people travelling between Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu-Kashmir and rest part of country from where between 60 and 65 thousand vehicles pass daily having a Toll Plaza near Shambhu border operated by National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) suffered heavy revenue loss worth Rs 135 crore towards toll tax so far. Information reveals, Trade and Industry has also suffered loss worth over Rs 600 crore , Railways has suffered loss worth hundreds crore due to cancellation of large number of trains everyday passing through this route, Haryana Roadways suffered revenue loss worth over Rs 3.50 crore and amount worth over Rs 2.15 crore has been spent by the government towards expenses on deployment of police and paramilitary forces at the border since past over five months, besides more than 2.15 crore vehicle drivers passing through the route suffered lot of inconvenience.
According to information, the worst affected due to closure of Shambhu border include Asia’s biggest wholesale cloth and jewellery market at Ambala, large number of petrol pumps, liquor vends, ‘dhabas’ and the industry located on the highway, those residing in rural area on both side of the Shambhu border as well as travelling passengers on this route. When I talked to the traders of Ambala wholesale cloth market and the jewellers they said that their business has witnessed nearly 60% drop in their sales due to closure of Shambhu border this year, since people used to visit them every year for the procurement of cloth and jewellery during marriage season.
