Farmers register protest on Centre’s value cut on wheat grains, blocked train at Ferozepur
Farmers register protest on Centre’s value cut on wheat grains, blocked train at Ferozepur
Ferozepur, April 18, 2023: On a call from Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Dhakonda), the ‘rail-roko’ protest was held today at Ferozepur, from 12 noon to 4 pm for four hours against the Centre government to register their protest against the value cut on wheat and compensation on crop damage due to rain.
Jangir Singh Khaira said, The ‘rail roko’ agitation was held in many places including Ludhiana, Amritsar, Bathinda, Ferozepur, Sangrur, Fazilka, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran. He said, in case our demands are not met, we will intensify the protest in the coming days.
At least, 20 trains reported to have been cancelled after farmers sat on dharna on railway tracks at several places in the state on Tuesday, as a part of their ‘rail roko’ programme for four hours against the value cut announced by the Centre on wheat due to unseasonal rains.
Added here, the Centre has relaxed quality norms for wheat procurement in Punjab, Chandigrh, Haryana and Rajasthan due to damage of crop in unseasonal rains but it has also decided to cut the value of shrivelled and broken wheat above 6 per cent. The farmers are also demanding a higher per acre for crop damage.
However, the ‘rail-roko’ protest caused inconvenience to many rail passengers.
Ferozepur railway division officials said 20 trains including those running from Jalandhar city to Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana to Ferozepur Cantt, Amritsar to Qadian, Amritsar to Pathankot and Verka to Dera Baba Nanak were cancelled, while trains between Bathinda and Fazilka were short terminated and short originated
