Agitating farmers disrupt rail traffic in parts of Punjab

Hoshiarpur, Mar 18 (UNI) Farmers today blocked rail traffic in parts of Punjab on the call of Punjab Kisan Sabha to protest against alleged anti-farmer policies of the Centre and state government.

Farmers led by state committee member of CPM Darshan Singh Mattoo and Bhagat Singh Jhuggian squatted on Birampur rail-road crossing at Garhshankar town due to which traffic on Jaijon Doaba-Jalandhar route remained suspended for two hours in the afternoon.

The farmers were demanding waiver of all their loans, continuation of subsidy being given on agriculture and to fix prices of all the agriculture outputs with the price index.

In Hoshiarpur city, farmers led by Gurbaksh Singh Soos and Gurmesh Singh, both Kisan leaders, stopped DMU train bound for Feorzepur for about half-an-hour.

At Mukerian, farmers led by state committee member of CPM Baldev Singh Pota took out a protest march in the main bazars ended at Mukerian railway station and squatted on the track for quite some time in support of their above said demands.

Hundreds of farmers led by Lehmber Singh Taggarr and Dayal Singh sat on dharna in middle of main railway lines near Phillaur railway section in support of their demands.

A noisy demonstration was organised by the farmers who raised anti-govt slogans. Several passenger trains including Amritsar-Darbanga Express, Malwa Express, Amritsar-Dadar Express, Ludhiana-Lohian Express and one Goods Train remained strandard at Ladhuwal, Phillaur and Goraya railway stations due to the blockade.

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