Farmers Movement Archive

Start goods trains first, farmer outfits tell Centre

As many as 30 farmers’ outfits in Punjab on Wednesday decided to maintain status quo on their blockade of passenger trains in the State in protest against Centre’s recent agriculture laws. “We have decided to continue letting goods trains go, but not passenger trains. Once the Central government starts movement of goods trains, we will take a positive call on movement of passenger trains. The ball is in the Centre’s court now,” Jagmohan Singh, general secretary, Bhartiya Kisan Union (Dakaunda), toldThe Hinduafter a meeting of farmers’ outfits here. CM disappointed Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh expressed disappointment over the refusal of the outfits to completely lift their rail blockade that has brought the State virtually to a standstill for the past month and a half. He said he had expected them to back down in the interest of Punjab especially in view of the State government’s support for their cause and the Centre’s decision to engage with them. The Chief Minister said instead of reciprocating his government’s support, the farmers’ unions were standing firm “without considering the grave financial and other implications it is having on the State exchequer, the industry, the common people and the farmers themselves”. Industry alone had already suffered losses to the tune of Rs. 30,000 crore (and still counting), noted the CM, besides preventing the supply of 40 lakh metric tonnes of parboiled rice from Punjab to Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh for distribution under PDS.

The Hindu

2020-11-19

CHANDIGARH