25 trains cancelled and 7 diverted as farmers of Punjab disrupt the Amritsar-Delhi rail route

Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) blocked Amritsar-Delhi rail line at Jandiala town, 20 kms from the district headquarters, continuing their protest of ‘Jail Bharo Andolan’ on fourth day of their protest. Thousands of passengers were left stranded as protestors blocked the Amritsar-Delhi railway line as a result of which 25 trains were cancelled, and as many as 7 trains were diverted via Amritsar-Tarn Taran-Beas and Jalandhar-Mukerian-Pathankot routes.

Farmers protest continued second day

Some trains were terminated at other stations too.Targettinb the government over ‘unkept promises’, the protestors have been on a dharna outside the office of Tarn Taran Deputy Commissioner’s office since March 1. The farmers have been trying to garner attention of the state and the center government over the unfulfilled promises, and have stated that the government will have to either fulfill their demands or arrest them.

The KMSC says that the farmers have been committing suicides and the banks are issuing notices of ‘kurki’ to the farmers, with many of them being arrested too. Among the various demands of the farmers, full loan waivers of farmers and labourers, return of blank cheques by banks and commission agents, payment for sugarcane crop with 15% interest, waiver of pending electricity bills and lowering of electricity tariff are significant.