CHANDIGARH: Rejecting ruling SAD's appeal to call off their Rail Roko agitation, which has paralysed train services, farmers' outfits today decided to extend their stir by another two days to press for their demands.
The agitation would be on till October 12, the date given by SAD for holding talks with Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to resolve their issues.
"Our core committee of eight farmers' outfits has decided to extend Rail Roko agitation till October 12," BKU (Ugrahan) General Secretary, Sukhdev Singh Kokri said.
"Our members have thought that if we call off our protest today then our demands may not be taken seriously by the state authorities. That is why we decided to extend our agitation to press the state government to accept our demands," he argued.
Kokri further said that the ruling party had delayed in inviting farmers to hold talks with the Chief Minister.
The agitation, which began on October 7 and was extended, has affected the running of 53 trains, including 25 which were cancelled, in the last four days, railway authorities said.
Nine trains were diverted, while 19 others were short terminated or short originated by railway authorities.
As many as eight farmers' organisations including BKU Ekta (Dakunda), BKU Ekta (Ugrahan), BKU (Krantikari), Kirti Kisan Union are participating in Rail Roko agitation which began on October 7.
Earlier, ruling SAD invited the protesting farmers to hold talks with the Chief Minister on October 12 for resolvingtheir issues.
Though the SAD has appealed to farmers to call off their protest, no prior condition has been put before agitating farmers to hold talks with Chief Minister by the ruling party.
"We have fixed a meeting of representatives of farmers' organisations with Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for Monday at Chandigarh at 4:30 pm to hold discussions with them on the table," SAD MP Prem Singh Chandumajra said.
"We have not put any condition before them for holding talks with CM. But we appeal to them to call off their protest to hold discussions in congenial atmosphere," Chandumajra, MP from Anandpur Sahib, said, adding that SAD had always been taking pro-farmers steps.
Chandumajra has been assigned the responsibility of prevailing upon agitating farmers to bring them on table for negotiations to discuss their demands.
By extending its agitation, farmers appear to "arm-twist" the state government to accept some of its demands.
"We would like to see what results come out in a meeting with Punjab CM on October 12. The rail blockade will now continue for two days more. The next line of action of farmerswill be announced after holding a meeting with CM," said Buta Singh, President, BKU (Dakunda).
"The SAD earlier told us to meet on October 11. But now they have told us to meet CM on October 12. That is why we are forced to extend our agitation," said Singh.
Among various demands, farmers in Punjab have been demanding Rs 40,000 per acre compensation for farmers whose crop got damaged by whitefly attack, Rs 20,000 per family compensation for farm labour, Rs 4,500 per quintal rate for basmati PUSA 1509 variety, and Rs 5,000 per quintal for basmati PUSA 1121 variety.
Besides, they are also seeking payments of sugarcane dues by private mills, debt relief and Rs 5 lakh financial assistance to the family of farmers who commit suicide.
However, Punjab government has claimed that it had released maximum compensation to cotton growers whose crop was damaged because of pest attack. SAD had even accused farmers' outfits of playing politics over the peasants' issues.
Earlier, the representatives of protesting farmers had met senior government officials led by Chief Secretary, but the talks remained inconclusive.
Initially, the agitation was for two days - October 7 and 8. But it was extended for two days till October 10 by farmers who blamed the SAD-BJP government for its "apathetic" attitude towards farmers' genuine grievances.
Railway officials said out of 53 trains, 25 trains (15 mail/express and 10 passenger) were cancelled. Among them were Nangaldam-Amritsar Express, New Delhi Amritsar Intercity, NewDelhi-Jalandhar Intercity, Dehradun-Amritsar Express, Chandigarh-Amritsar Intercity, Shane-Punjab, Jalandhar-NewDelhi, Ferozepur Cantt-Delhi Sarai and some passenger trains.
Among trains which were diverted are Tata Nagar-Jammu Tawi, Amritsar-New Delhi Shatabdi, Amritsar-Haridwar Jan Shatabadi, Amritsar-Mumbai, Amritsar-Saharasa Garib Rath and Amritar-Lalkuan Express.
Trains which were short terminated or short originated are Golden Temple express, Howrah-Amritsar, Amarpali Express, New Delhi-Amritsar Shatabdi, Jan Nayak Darbhanga-Amritsar Express, Chhattisgarh Express, Paschim Express, Sachkhand Express and Saryu Yamuna express, officials said.
Not paying heed to authorities, farmers in large numbers have been squatting on railway tracks atat Mansa, Rampura, Shergarh, Pathrala (Bathinda), Dagru (Moga), and Mucchal (Amritsar).
Tracks including Ludhiana-Ferozepur, Ludhiana-Amritsar, Bathinda-Ambala, Ambala-Ferozeur were hit, railway officials said.