Closure of Shambhu Khanauri border has impacted trade and industry Punjab minister

Chandigarh, Feb 25 (PTI) Punjab Cabinet Minister Aman Arora on Tuesday stressed the need to open the Shambhu and Khanauri border points, saying that their closure has left Punjab "cut off" from the rest of the country, resulting in a "big impact" on the state's trade and industry.
     If trade and industry are finished, how will Punjab be saved, said Arora, who is the also Punjab AAP president.
     He made this statement while participating in a debate on the resolution against the Centre's draft National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing on the concluding day of the two-day Punjab Assembly session.
     Notably, farmers under the banner of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are leading the 'Delhi Chalo' march to press the government to accept their various demands, including the provision of a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) on crops.
     The protesting farmers have been stationed at the Shambhu (Shambhu-Ambala) and Khanauri (Sangrur-Jind) border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 of last year, when their march was halted by security forces.
     Arora said that for the last year, Punjab has been cut off from the country.
     "The Shambhu and Khanauri borders are two lifelines. Punjab has been cut off, and this has had a very big impact on the work of traders, industrialists, and shopkeepers,” he said.
     "If we put politics aside, there is a need to save Punjab. Punjab can be saved by saving agriculture and it can be saved by saving industry. If we save every sector, then the entire Punjab will be saved," he added.
     Arora further pointed out that the state’s industries were witnessing cancellations of orders from buyers due to the closure of the roads.
     "If you ask any industry, it will tell you that companies are cancelling their national and international orders because 'dharnas' are taking place and roads are closed, preventing them from completing their orders," said Arora.
     "If trade or industry is finished, how will we save Punjab?" he asked.
     "A house committee comprising members of all parties should be formed. They should meet with farmer leaders Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher. I believe they will accept it, and we will be able to reopen those two lifeline roads and save trade," he said.
     Congress MLA Pargat Singh pointed out to Arora that it was the Haryana government that had closed the Shambhu and Khanauri border points.
     Health Minister Balbir Singh slammed the Centre, lamenting why farmers were not allowed to go to Delhi.
     "It is a border state, and an attempt is being made to destabilise it," he alleged.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)