Punjab: Farmers continue protest for railway bridge in Mansa, seek govt's help

Farmers of Punjab's Mansa sought the state government's intervention to get the Rs 1.50 crore bridge constructed by the railways so as to facilitate supply of water to their barren lands.

Mansa: Farmers of Khokhar Kalan and Khokhar Khurd of Mansa district continued their indefinite protests on Thursday on the Delhi-Ferozepur railway line affecting the movement of trains here. The farmers alleged that Rs 1.50 crore was demanded by the Railways to build a bridge under the railway line to deliver canal water to the barren lands. The farmers demanded the Punjab government to intervene and pay the amount from the state fund or waive the entire amount.

Earlier, the Railway department had granted permission for building the under bridge for the supply of canal water to the 976 acres of barren fields. However, the railways ordered the farmers to pay a hefty sum of money for the construction of the canal. The agitating farmers had sought the Punjab government's aid in either paying the amount to the railways or relinquishing the entire amount.

Despite their repeated requests, the state government has not acted on their demands, alleged the farmers. The locals brought pressure on the government further and protested on January 30 disrupting railway services. A state official here said that the district administration has sought time till February 8.

The farmers first raised the issue in 2012 and since then have been calling out protests but to no avail. They were once called for a meeting with the administrative officials but that too did not fetch the desired results. The farmers said that protests will continue until their demands are met.