Sugarcane farmers block Jalandhar-Phagwara highway, rail track; seek ₹200-crore dues
The protest started from Dhanowali village of Jalandhar district and by the late afternoon, the unions had also blocked the rail track near Dhanowali between Jalandhar-Chaheru section
Jalandhar Demanding that the state government clear their dues of over ₹200 crore and hike the State Assured Price (SAP) of sugarcane farmers from ₹310 a quintal to ₹358, farmers of 32 unions blocked the Jalandhar-Phagwara stretch of the national highway and rail tracks on Friday. Unions have also claimed that their protest will continue indefinitely.
The protest started from Dhanowali village of Jalandhar district and by the late afternoon, the unions had also blocked the rail track near Dhanowali between Jalandhar - Chaheru section. They blocked the movement of trains on the Ludhiana Amritsar and Ludhiana-Jammu tracks. The Ferozepur railway division said movement of 31 trains were hit, with six being cancelled and nine diverted.
Bharatiya Kisan Union (Doaba) president Manjit Singh Rai and general secretary, Satnam Singh Sahni, said, “The Capt government did not increase even a single penny for sugarcane crop over the past four years. We will continue to block the national highway and the tracks till the time the state government agrees to meet our demands.”
On the national highway that connects major cities of Punjab and Jammu, traffic was badly hit, with the police resorting to diversions. “We have conveyed to the CM Capt Amarinder Singh and the cane commissioner of the state to hold meeting with us at the earliest,” said a farm leader.
Later in the day, Jalandhar deputy commissioner Ghanshyam Thori, police commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, and SSP Naveen Singla met farmers near Paragpur on the national highway itself.
Then DC told the farmers that the state government had already increased the sugarcane crop SAP from ₹310 to ₹325; farmers, however, remained adamant on their demand for a higher increase. Farm leader Sahni said, “The Punjab government has forced farmers to block the national highway, which affects the common man. We are also helpless as the state government has left us with no other option.”
PASSENGERS INCONVENIENCED IN LUDHIANA
Thousands of passengers travelling in trains which had to ply through the Ludhiana station faced harassment due to the protest. Officials added six trains were diverted from their usual routes and six were cancelled. The Paschim Express (2925) which runs from Mumbai Bandra to Amritsar was halted at the Ludhiana railway station for over an hour, since it couldn’t get clearance to cross through the Jalandhar station. Chandigarh to Amritsar train was short terminated at Ludhiana junction, with passengers adjusted in other trains.