Rail Roko: Rlys deploys 20 more RPSF companies, focus on Punjab, Haryana, UP
NEW DELHI: The railways has deployed 20 additional companies of the RPSF across the country, with focus on Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, in the wake of the "rail roko" called on Thursday by farmer groups protesting against the three farm laws.
Director General, Railway Protection Force, Arun Kumar on Wednesday said, “I appeal to everyone to maintain peace. We will be liaisoning with district administrations and will have a control room in place.”
“We will gather intelligence. States such as Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, and some other areas will be our focus. We have deployed 20 companies of the Railway Protection Special Force (RPSF) in these areas. We want to persuade them to not cause inconvenience for passengers. We have a 4-hour window and we want it (rail roko) to get over peacefully,” Kumar said.
The SKM had said the rail blockade will held across the country from 12 pm to 4 pm.
Sources in the northern railways said they are expecting ‘rail roko’ agitations will be concentrated in Punjab, Haryana and western UP.
“No decision has yet been taken on train movement in the backdrop of the rail blockade. Once we get a better picture of the status of the protests and have identified sensitive spots, we will put in place a plan of action. We have around 80 trains which run through potentially sensitive areas and most of them would have passed through them before 12 pm," an official said.
Farmers at Singhu gear up to beat summer heat: The protesting farmers have started preparing to face the scorching summer heat at Singhu village. They are
planning to install fans, coolers, generators at the site.
Meanwhile, the farm organisation's Haryana president Gurnam Singh Chaduni said the Bharatiya Kisan Union is fighting for farmers' rights and they will not return home from Delhi's bor
ders till the new agri laws are repealed.
He also said the union will hold programmes, such as panchayats and mahapanchayats, to make the country aware that the government at the Centre is "not for the people but of corporates".