CHANDIGARH / BATHINDA / AMRITSAR: Punjab Farmers Unions, which have been protesting for more than two months against the Center’s three controversial agricultural marketing laws, agreed on Saturday to accept the appeal of Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and decided allow passenger trains to run in the state. from November 23 to December 10.
The decision to lift the rail blockade was announced by Bharti Kisan (Rajewal) Union President Balbir Singh Rajewal at a meeting of representatives of agricultural groups with the Punjab CM. However, Rajewal warned that the lockdown would be resumed if the central government did not hold talks with farmers’ representatives in the next 15 days to address their concerns about the contentious laws.
Peasant leaders Buta Singh Burjgill and Darshan Pal said that despite the relaxation of passenger trains, all other protests, including the blocking of toll plazas, gas pumps and businesses owned by Reliance Group, and the protests outside the residences of the BJP leaders would continue. “The proposed protest in Delhi from November 26 to 27 remains in effect,” they said.
Amarinder also urged the Modi government to reciprocate by restoring all train services in the state, and also to hold talks with farmers’ representatives.
The CM said the blockade had so far caused losses of Rs 40 billion in Punjab. He also highlighted the acute shortage in the state of coal, fertilizers and urea, among other basic products. A large number of industrial units had closed in Ludhiana and Jalandhar due to shortages of raw materials, resulting in six lakhs of migrant workers returning to their places of origin, he told the unions. He assured agricultural leaders that he would soon meet with Prime Minister and Interior Minister Amit Shah to press their demands.
The CM also promised the farm representatives that it would analyze their other demands, including the increase in the price of sugar cane and the settlement of quotas, as well as the withdrawal of FIRs registered in cases of stubble burning.
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