Farmers lay siege to tracks, 14 trains cancelled on Day 2
STALEMATE Talks between protesters, sugar mill owners fail
DASUYA (HOSHIARPUR): The Ferozepur railway division cancelled 14 trains and diverted two on Sunday due to the ongoing strike in Punjab, where farmers blocked rail tracks to protest non-payment of sugarcane dues by the state government. The farmers continued to block road and rail routes in Dasuya for the second day on Sunday.
Among the 14 cancelled trains were Ravi Express (14634), Hemkunt Express (14609), Amritsar-Pathankot Passenger (54613), Delhi Sarai Rohilla-Jammu Tawi Duronto Express (12265), Udhampur Delhi Sarai Rohilla AC Express (22402).
The two trains that were diverted were Jammu Tawi-Hazur Sahib Nanded Humsafar Express (12752) and Jammu Tawi-Jamnagar Express (12478). Also, the Ahmedabad Jammu Tawi Express (19223) and Ambala Cantt Ludhiana Memu (64523) where short-terminated at Jalandhar City Railway Station and Dhandari Kalan Railway Station respectively. On Saturday, the Ferozepur Railway Division had cancelled 17 trains.
Meanwhile, talks between the government and sugar mill functionaries failed.
During the parleys held on Sunday evening, the farmers were offered a payment of ₹200 crore for the time being but they insisted on clearance of the entire outstanding amount, which they peg at ₹450 crore.
Sources said that on Monday, Punjab cane commissioner and owners of all sugar mills of the state, who are defaulting on payment, would come to resolve the issue.
Besides affecting rail routes, the sit-in of farmers has also led to blockade of Jalandhar-Pathankot national highway, but the police and Railways seem helpless before the protesters who refused to budge from their stand. The district administration had also held parleys with farmer leaders on Saturday but the latter refused to negotiate, insisting immediate acceptance of their demands.
WHAT THE FARMERS SEEK
The demands include rise in state advised price (SAP) of cane, payment of outstanding dues worth ₹450 crore and bonding of crop by sugar mills.
On Sunday, Jalandhar range inspector general Naunihal Singh and Hoshiarpur senior superintendent of police (SSP) J Elanchazhian also tried to persuade the farmers’ core committee members, Sukhpal Singh Daffar, Manjit Singh Rai and Majha Sangharsh committee president Balwinder Singh Raju Aulakh, Gaganpreet Singh Mohan and Baldev Singh Sirsa, but they said this time, they would not end the agitation till all their demands were fulfilled. “Farmers have lost patience now. It is a do or die situation for them,” said Rai, stating that agitation would rather be intensified if the resolution is delayed.