Agitating farmers in Punjab block rail line, national highways

Agitating farmers in Punjab, demanding revised sugarcane prices and clearance of pending dues, have blocked a railway track and two national highways.

Jalandhar (Punjab): Farmers demanding revised sugarcane prices and release of pending dues by the Punjab government blocked a railway track and two national highways here Saturday.

On the second day of their agitation against the Punjab government, the farmers blocked the Delhi-Amritsar railway line and the Delhi-Amritsar and Delhi-Jammu national highways.

“We are requesting the government to increase the prices of sugarcane but the government is not even releasing the pending payments for the last three years.,” Sukhdev Singh, the press secretary of Kisan Jathebandi, told ETV Bharat. “Now the farmers are saying that till their demands are accepted, the railway track and national highways will remain blocked.”

Meanwhile, a langar (community kitchen) has been set up here which will run throughout the day. Tents have also been pitched to make it clear to the administration and the state government that the agitation will continue till the farmers get justice.

It is worth mentioning that crores of rupees due to farmers are lying in different sugar mills in Punjab. Besides, the price of sugarcane crop in Punjab is Rs 310 while that in Haryana is Rs 358 per quintal. Farmers in Punjab have been demanding for a long time that the price of sugarcane should be fixed at Rs 400 per quintal.