Punjab: Farmers Block Railway Tracks Demanding Loan Waivers & Compensation For Those Who Died During Protest

The movement of 156 trains has been affected. Ferozepur division railway told PTI, “84 trains were cancelled, 47 were short-terminated and 25 were short-originated.” 

Passengers at a railway station as several trains were cancelled after farmers blocked the railway tracks to protest against the state government for their various demands. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: A few days after the year-long protest ended and the farmers vacated the Delhi borders, a new stir began in Punjab as the farmers have blocked the rail services in different locations in the state. The demands of the farmers remain the same as they want complete loan waivers and compensation for kin of those who died during the year-long protest. 

The protest began on Monday, and continued till Tuesday, reported news agency PTI. The movement of 156 trains has been affected. Ferozepur division railway told PTI, “84 trains were cancelled, 47 were short-terminated and 25 were short-originated.” 

The farmers are protesting under the banner of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee and demand cancellation of criminal cases filed against them besides the loan waiver and compensation. Other demands proposed by the protesting farmers include compensation of Rs 50,000 per acre for crop damage, the release of pending payments for sugarcane, and the abolition of the contract system.

A farmer leader Satnam Singh Pannu told PTI that the protest will go on till their demands are met. “During a meeting on September 28, we were given assurance by Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi but the state government later backed out. Besides four places where farmers are sitting presently on dharna, we will start the protest at three more sites in Punjab from tomorrow,” he said.

Currently, the farmers have blocked the railway tracks at Ferozepur, Tarn Taran, Amritsar, and Hoshiarpur. 

The farmers have recently ended their year-long protest against the three controversial farm laws. They had vacated the Delhi borders on December 11 after getting a written statement from the central government which agreed to fulfill their demands. 

The decision of repealing the farm laws was announced by the Prime Minister on November 19. Following the announcement, the Farm Laws Repeal Bill was passed in the parliament on the first day of the winter session, November 29.