Ambala: In past 13 days, revenue loss worth over Rs 42 crore has been estimated at the Shambhu Toll Plaza near Haryana-Punjab border on Amritsar-Delhi highway, from where nearly 40,000 vehicles pass daily with the revenue collection towards toll tax worth Rs 55 to 60 lakh every day. Apart from this, the drivers of the automobiles travelling on this route are facing severe harassment since the farmers protest has been going on since the past about 80 days and the vehicle owners have to divert journeys via passing through the lengthy alternate routes covering extra distance wasting time as well as money in travelling.

Information reveals that in the past about  13 days more than 900 trains have been cancelled, as well as more than1700 trains have been adversely affected causing much inconvenience to travelling passengers in this period. Information also reveals that 32 Haryana Roadways buses from Ambala depot travelling everyday on Punjab routes have been discontinued since past about 80 days, besides a few buses are travelling towards Punjab via different link routes, and in-spite of the bus services have been discontinued Haryana state government have to bear amount worth Rs 1 lakh daily to the Punjab government daily towards passenger tax, thus incurring heavy financial loss.  

As a result of direct connectivity between Haryana and Punjab, the trade and industry of both states have been adversely affected due to the farmers’ protest. Business in Asia’s biggest wholesale cloth market, Ambala City has also been adversely affected due to the farmers’ protest for a long time causing a 40 to 50% drop in the sale even during the present marriage season. Information also reveals that large number of oil filling stations as well as roadside ‘dhaba’ located on the highway on the both sides of Shambhu Toll Plaza and the Haryana-Punjab border have been worst affected due to slump in their sale due to limited number of vehicles plying in the area since past about over 80 days.