Farmers Protest highlights: 9 trains cancelled in Ambala division due to ‘rail roko’ agitation

Farmers today squatted on railway tracks at many places in Punjab as part of a 'rail roko' protest to press the Centre to accept their demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price, PTI reports.

Farmers raised slogans against the Centre for not accepting their demands. The protest was held from 12 pm to 4 pm.

A total of nine trains were cancelled and 26 others were affected (regulated) in the Ambala railway division due to “rail roko” agitation today.

“We have not received any information about farmers trying to stage their protest here (Mohra rail passing). Section 144 has already been imposed. We will take action against people who will try to violate it,” DSP Ambala Cantt Ashish Chaudhary tells PTI.

The protesting farmers have been staying put at the Shambhu and the Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana after their 'Delhi Chalo' march was stopped by security personnel on February 13.

"We urge all farmers, labourers and common people across the country to support us in the 'Rail Roko' today in large numbers. We also urge those, who are scheduled to travel on trains between 12 noon and 4 pm today, to push back their journey by a few hours today. Train passengers might face some inconvenience today. However, this is only a partial 'Rail Roko'," farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher told ANI on Sunday.

Amid heavy presence of security forces, not even a single farmer reaches to block the Delhi-Ambala railway track at Mohra in Ambala Cantonment of Haryana.

The government sets MSP at 1.5 times the Cost of Production (CoP), where Cop is A2+FL.

The Swaminathan Commission, however, suggests that CoP should be based on C2, proposing the 'C2+50 per cent' formula for setting MSP.

Farmers Protest LIVE Updates: Seeking to intensify their ongoing protest over a raft of demands, farmers' unions will stage 'rail roko' protest across the country on Sunday.

The call for a 'rail roko' protest, which will be held between 12 noon and 4 pm, comes amid the farmer's 'Delhi Chalo' march.

Farmers Protest LIVE Updates: The National Commission on Farmers, chaired by agricultural scientist M S Swaminathan, in 2004, submitted a report to the government in 2006, suggesting that the solution to the farm crisis was to provide remunerative prices to the farmer.

The commission recommended that the MSP should be 1.5 times the farmers’ input costs.

For the calculation of input costs, however, the Swaminathan Commission laid down a different formula. Along with the paid-out cost (A2) and the imputed value of family labour (FL), also included the interest on the value of owned capital assets, rent paid for leased-in land, or the rental value of owned land (C2).

The CACP calculates three types of production costs for every crop, both at the state and all-India average levels.

1. 'A2':

• Covers all paid-out costs directly incurred by the farmer in cash and kind on seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, hired labour, leased-in land, fuel, irrigation, etc.

2. 'FL':

• Includes A2 plus an imputed value of unpaid family labour.

CACP considers A2+FL as the cost of production and sets MSP at 1.5 times of it.

Farmers Protest LIVE Updates:

The Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP), an attached office of the union agricultural ministry, suggests MSPs for specific crops.

The factors considered by CACP for fixing MSP include the cost of production, domestic and international prices, demand-supply conditions, inter-crop price parity, and terms of trade between the agricultural and non-agricultural sectors.

The final decision on MSP levels is made by the Union government's Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA).

Farmers Protest LIVE Updates:

• Kharif crops such as Paddy, Jowar, Bajra, Ragi, Maize, Arhar, Moong, Urad, Cotton, Groundnut, Sunflower Seed, Soybean, and Sesamum.

• Rabi crops such as Wheat, Barley, Gram, Masur, Rapeseeds & Mustard, Safflower, and Toria.

• Additionally, MSP is announced for Copra, De-husked Coconut, Jute, and Fair Remunerative Prices are declared for Sugarcane.

Farmers Protest LIVE Updates: MSP is the lowest price set by the government for purchasing crops from farmers. The government declares these rates each season to guarantee fair prices for farmers, promoting increased investment and production.

Farmers Protest LIVE Updates: Disruptions in inter-city and state train schedules are likely on Sunday due to the rail roko protest. Last month, a similar situation occurred when farmers staged a sit-in on the tracks, causing delays for multiple trains on the Delhi-Amritsar route.

Farmers Protest LIVE Updates: Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said, "...As part of the agitation that started at the Punjab-Haryana border on 13th February, we have called for 'Rail Roko' across the country today. We urge all farmers, labourers and common people of the country to support us in the 'Rail Roko' today in large numbers. We also urge those, who want to undertake train travel between 12 noon-4 pm today, to not do the same for four hours today. People might face a little inconvenience today. This is partial 'Rail Roko'..."

ANI

Farmers Protest LIVE Updates: Farmer leaders rejected the BJP-led Centre's proposition to have government agencies procure pulses, maize, and cotton at Minimum Support Price (MSP) for a five-year period, saying that the proposal was not in the farmers' best interest.

Farmers Protest LIVE Updates: On Saturday, Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal appealed to the Centre not to shirk its responsibility of providing a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) on all crops. This comes as farmers gear up to participate in the scheduled 'rail roko' protest on March 10 to emphasise their demands.

Farmers Protest LIVE Updates: Kisan Mazdoor Morcha leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said that protesting farmers plan to stage sit-ins on railway tracks in multiple locations across Punjab, including Ferozepur, Amritsar, Rupnagar, and Gurdaspur districts.

The rail roko protest will be observed for four hours, from 12 pm to 4 pm tomorrow.