Farm protests may hit transport of essentials: Railways
Item
Title
Farm protests may hit transport of essentials: Railways
Description
The railway ministry on Thursday warned that the three-day rail roko (railway blockade) protest called by farmers in Punjab over farm bills passed by Parliament will have a severe impact on the transport of foodgrains and other essential goods to and from the northern state .Railway authorities said 20 trains passing through Punjab will remain suspended between Thursday and Saturday because of the protest , as the state-owned transporter seeks to ensure the safety of passengers and protect its property. Many freight and parcel trains too have been rescheduled.“Punjab rail agitation will severely impact loading of foodgrains and other essential goods. It will hurt ordinary citizens and fast-recovering rail freight and economy,” a railway ministry spokesperson said.The Farmer’s Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020, seeking to liberalise agricultural trade, were cleared by both Houses of Parliament in the curtailed monsoon session that ended Wednesday. Opposition parties and farmers groups have alleged that the legislation was aimed at promoting the interests of corporate entities rather than the interests of farmers.The railway ministry said that Punjab loaded 990 rakes of foodgrains procured by the Food Corporation of India in August this year and 816 rakes this month until September 23. Thd FCI is loading more than 35 rakes of foodgrains daily from Punjab. Punjab also loads 9-10 rakes daily of fertilizer, cement, automobiles and mixed goods in containers.“Punjab receives around 20 rakes daily of coal, food grain, farm products, machinery, petroleum products, imported fertilizer etc,” the ministry said.The call for rail roko protest has been called by the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee with the backing of different farmers groups.
Publisher
Hindustan Times
Date
25-09-2020
Coverage
India