Chandigarh, Nov 24 (IANS): With supplies of essential commodities finally being restored with the resumption of goods train services in Punjab on Tuesday after about two months, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh issued directions to ensure seamless movement of the raw materials to power plants and industry.

The stalled operations at various units should be revived urgently, he has directed Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan, asking her to ensure that critical supplies are arranged to be delivered on priority to vital units.

Mahajan said a team of officials was managing the supplies and streamlining the process, thus ensuring that the most important raw materials are rushed urgently to the industrial units concerned through the various departments.

Punjab has been facing acute power shortage following shutting down of all five thermal facilities owing to coal stocks getting exhausted.

The Chief Minister has said the continued suspension of the rail movement was hurting not just Punjab but also the neighbouring states. Even the armed forces in Ladakh and Kashmir had been hit hard as their supplies had been seriously affected by the prolonged interruption of services, he noted.

Neither Punjab nor the nation could afford to allow the situation to continue indefinitely in this manner, he has stressed, pointing to the crores of rupees in losses being suffered by the industry and economy in the state.

The agriculture sector was also badly affected as the movement of foodgrains, fertilisers, urea, etc., had been hit hard due to the rail blockade, he added.