Farmers Movement Archive

Amid farmers’ protests, Agra division restricts trains running to Amritsar

Agra: Based on an alert sounded by the Railway Board over farmers’ protests in parts of Punjab and Haryana, the Agra division of Indian Railways on Thursday restricted operations of at least three trains to Amritsar. SK Srivastava, commercial manager of Agra railway division said, “Two trains – Golden Temple Mail and Paschim Express –scheduled to reach Amritsar were operated till Ambala. Sachkhand Express was stopped in Delhi. The curbs will continue on Friday and Saturday too.” “Security arrangements have been tightened at all the stations. The Railway Protection Force (RPF) is on alert and has been directed foolproof monitoring of tracks,” he added. On Thursday, over 200 RPF personnel were deployed at the Kosi Kalan railway station of Mathura district, bordering Haryana. Farmers in Punjab on Thursday began their three-day ‘rail roko’ agitation to protest the three farm bills while the Ferozepur railway division suspended the operation of 14 special trains due to the stir. Many freight and parcel trains have also been rescheduled. The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and The Farming Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 were passed by voice vote in Rajya Sabha on Sunday. They await the President’s nod to become laws. In a letter issued to general managers of all railway zones, Director General, RPF, Arun Kumar said, “The joint countrywide action by All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee on September 25 may turn into total bandh in Punjab, Haryana and a series of blockades in various corners of the country. The impact may be pronounced in Punjab, Haryana and part of UP while other parts of the country may also be affected by the agitation.” “The trains are the lifeline to the nation and any hindrance in smooth running of trains will not only cause immense hardship to travelling passengers but also cause great loss to the economic well-being of the nation and its citizens. In order to deal effectively with such a scenario, a strike scheme has been formulated and regularly updated by the railway administration,” he stated. According to the railway officials, as many as 20 regular trains reaching different parts of Punjab and Haryana have been partially cancelled while five have been short-terminated.

The Times of India

2020-09-25

Agra