Farmers block rail track against SEZs on fertile land

Amritsar, Sep 25 (UNI) Hundreds of farmers under the banner of the Kisan Sangharsh Committee, today blocked the Amritsar-Jalandhar rail section demanding debt relief and lowering of interest rates on loans and against the proposed move to acquire fertile land for setting-up Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in Punjab.

Several Amritsar bound trains including the Shatabadi Express, the Shan-e-Punjab and the EMU plying between Jalandhar and Amritsar were delayed by several hours. While the EMU was halted at Manawala station, the Shatabadi could not proceed beyond Rayya and the Shan-e-Punjab got delayed at Beas station.

The blockade by the farmers which commenced at 1300 hours was lifted at 1500 hours. The Shatabadi reached here three hours behind schedule while the Shan-e-Punjab was delayed by about two hours and subsequently, its return journey to New Delhi was also delayed.

The farmers, squatted on the tracks shouting slogans against the government, and demanding that the proposed SEZ project to be set-up between Jandiala and Manawala, along National Highway-I should be halted. Sangharsh Committee Convenor Kawalpreet Singh said that at no cost would the government be allowed to take possession of fertile land of the farmers for SEZs in any part of the state.

''The government can set up SEZs at places where land is not under cultivation'', he said, addressing the protestors at Manawala. He made it clear that no farmer would barter away his fertile land for the ''Meagre'' commpensation of the government.

The agitators also demanded a package for the debt ridden farmers of the state besides calling upon the government to lower the interest rate on bank loans. They also demanded that Minimum Support Price (MSP) of wheat, paddy and other crops should be raised as the input costs of the farmers had esclated in the last couple of years.

According to official sources the agitation passed off peacefully and no untoward incident was reported. Yesterday the farmers making similar demands had blocked rail traffic at several places in Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Nawanshahar and Hoshiarpur districts.

UNI XC-HS VD GC1637