CHANDIGARH: After aprotesting for over two months against the Centre’s farm Laws, all the 31 Punjab farmers’ organisations have on Saturday agreed to allow movement of both passenger and goods trains for 15 days from November 23. However, the farmer bodies said they will again block the rail tracks if the government failed to resolve their issues within these 10 days.
The Railways has already suffered a loss of Rs 1,670 crore in freight earnings alone and the blockade had caused Rs 40,000 crore losses to the state so far.
The decision to lift the blockade of passenger trains came after a meeting of farmer leaders with Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh. The decision was announced by Bharatiya Kisan Union (Rajewal) president Balbir Singh Rajewal.
He said, “If the Centre doesn’t talk to us, then from December 10 we will again block the rail tracks. Meanwhile the protests outside residences of BJP leaders and businesses owned by corporates, besides toll plazas and malls will continue as usual .” The Punjab chief minister too welcomed the decision. “Had a fruitful meeting with Kisan Unions.
Happy to share that starting 23rd Nov night, Kisan Unions have decided to end rail blockades for 15 days. I welcome this step since it will restore normalcy to our economy. I urge Central Govt to resume rail services to Punjab forthwith,” tweeted CM Captain Amarinder Singh. The chief minister assured the farmer leaders that he would meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah soon to press for their demands, according to a government statement.
The chief minister also promised the farmer representatives that he will look into their other demands, including those relating to sugarcane price hike, clearance of dues and withdrawal of FIRs registered in stubble-burning cases. Pointing to a shortage of coal, fertilisers and other essential commodities, he said a large number of units had closed down in Ludhiana and Jalandhar due to scarcity of raw material, resulting in six lakh migrant labourers going back to their native places.