Chandigarh: Farmers’ bodies will discuss on Wednesday Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh’s appeal for relaxing their ongoing ‘rail roko’ agitation to allow movements of goods trains in the larger interest of the state. Representatives of 31 farmers’ organisations, which have been holding the state-wide protests against the new farm laws, will hold a meeting here.
We will consider the CM’s appeal in the meeting tomorrow, Krantikari Kisan Union president Darshan Pal said on Tuesday. The chief minister had on Monday urged the protesting farmers to ease their rail blockade to ensure that the state can meet its critical needs.
Amarinder Singh had said due to the prolonged blockade of goods trains, the situation at Punjab’s coal plants was critical and they were left with only five to six days of coal. He had further said with not a single fertilizer rake entering Punjab for the past one week, there could be a severe shortage of fertilizer for the use by farmers sowing the wheat crop.
Different farmers’ bodies had stepped up their agitation by resorting to blocking rail tracks for an indefinite period from October 1 in the state to protest the new farm laws. Farmers under the banner of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, however, have been squatting at rail tracks in Amritsar and Ferozepur since September 24. At present, farmers continue to block rail tracks at 33 places in the state. Besides, they have also staged sit-ins outside several petrol pumps, toll plazas, and shopping malls.
They have also ben staging ‘dharnas’ outside the houses of some BJP leaders. Farmers said they would continue their agitation till their demand for the revocation of farm laws is not accepted.
Farmers have expressed apprehension that the Centre’s farm reform laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price system, leaving them at the “mercy” of big corporates. President Ram Nath Kovind had given assent to the three contentious laws — the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020; the Farmers’ (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
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