Jun 04 2008
Gujjar agitation causes loss of Rs 50 billion!
Gujjar agitation not only affected the routine life of Rajasthan and nearby places but it charged crores of rupees to the Indian corporate sector. It is reported that companies had placed a loss of nearly 1.25 billion dollars by now due to the agitation started from May 23.
Train tracks were severely damaged while Gujjar protest which affected the train schedules badly.
Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry’s (Assocham) President V.N. Dhoot said that their estimate of losses does not include the inconvenience caused to the passengers standing on stations and disruption to goods transfer. He said that tourism industry in Rajasthan and a few areas in Uttar Pradesh are suffered by the protest. According to Assocham, a loss of around Rs 50 billion is estimated by the gujjar agitation which pulled out the gujjars on the road.
Northern Railways spokesperson S Negi said that a loss of 7 lakh dollars was incurred by the cancellation and delay of trains on 29th May alone. Negi told that they have to delay 75 trains including 6 Rajdhani express and 23 were canceled.
Negi said,” We are planning to change the route of trains for the comfort of public.”
Rajasthan government also appealed the protesters not to trouble people. According to the estimates, around 40,000 passengers were clutched at railway stations in Jaipur, Delhi and Agra. Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhra Raje said that people faced a lot of problems by blockage of the rails and roads. Protesters had also disrupted the bus services between Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. Rajasthan State Road Transport told that around 50 buses of its transport were damaged due to the agitation. Durga Joshi, Executive Director of a government company told that services at around 60 stations were halted. This created a loss of nearly Rs 20 crores. To calculate the estimate of the loss of buses is still pending. Agra tourism, famous for Taj Mahal, was highly affected by the agitation as the protest continued here for 10 long days.
The railway spokesman said the cumulative losses incurred by the West-Central Railway and North-Central Railway will be in thousands of crores of rupees as these zones were badly hit.
