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Hike in sugarcane prices: Punjab Farmers block rail tracks, several trains cancelled
The farmers have already blocked the national highway. All the trains running between Jalandhar-New Delhi and Amritsar-Jalandhar have been cancelled due to farmer’s protest.
The activists under the banner of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) upped the ante and blocked the Amritsar-Delhi track near Dhanowalui leading to the cancellation of multiple trains on Thursday.
The farmers have already blocked the national highway. All the trains running between Jalandhar-New Delhi and Amritsar-Jalandhar have been cancelled due to farmer’s protest.
Meanwhile, vehicular traffic remained affected on the Jalandhar-New Delhi national highway as the farmers have pitched up temporary tents blocking both sides of the highway. The traffic remained diverted to link roads, causing inconvenience to the commuters.
The farmer unions are demanding a hike in sugarcane assured price from ₹380 to ₹450 per quintal, a single window and counter payment system at the sugar mills, compensation for the sugarcane crop damaged due to floods and other factors and to start crushing at the sugar mills.
Manjit Singh Rai, an SKM activist, said they had already warned the government that they would block railway tracks along with the national highway if their demands were not met.
“We will lift our protest only after the state government fulfils our demands,” he said.
Meanwhile, the rail blockade had a detrimental impact on multiple trains operating between Amritsar, Sahnewal, Jalandhar Cantonment, and Chhehru stations.
In an official statement, the railway division’s spokesperson in Ferozepur noted that prioritising passenger safety and convenience, the railway administration decided to cancel trains, or do partial cancellations, and diversions of trains affected by the protest. The operation of goods trains was being adjusted based on the evolving situation at the blockade location.
Notably, six trains were cancelled, including those on routes such as Chandigarh to Amritsar, Amritsar to Chandigarh, Amritsar to Hisar, Ludhiana to Ambala Cantt, and Amritsar to New Delhi.
Six trains were short terminated, with altered destinations, such as Chheharta to Ludhiana, Mumbai Central to Amritsar, Hazur Sahib Nanded to Amritsar, New Delhi to Amritsar, Mumbai Central to Amritsar, and New Delhi to Jalandhar City.
Another set of six trains were short-originated with modified starting points, including Amritsar to Mumbai Central, Amritsar to Hazur Sahib Nanded, Amritsar to New Delhi, Amritsar to Mumbai Central, Jalandhar City to New Delhi, and Amritsar to Darbhanga.
Simultaneously, ten trains were diverted, and passengers were urged to consult help desks at stations to mitigate inconvenience. Additional ticket counters were set up for refunds resulting from cancellations, and sufficient food provisions were ensured at stations.
The railway authority disclosed that passengers at various stations in Ferozepur had received approximately ₹5 lakh in refunds due to ticket cancellations.
