Chandigarh/Ferozepur: The movement of 20 trains, including the New Delhi-Amritsar Shatabdi Express, was affected after farmers squatted on railway tracks at five places in Punjab on Thursday to pressure the state government to hold talks and resolve their demands, including a loan waiver.
The farmers, who staged the protest under the banner of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), called off their nearly six-hour rail blockade after they received an assurance from officials that a meeting between their leaders and Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian will be held to discuss their demands on September 24.
The farmers sat on the railway tracks from 12 noon till 6 pm at different locations like Devidaspura in Amritsar, the Jhakholhari railway crossing in Pathankot, Dagru in Moga, Mallanwala in Ferozepur and Sunam in Sangrur.
The six-hour protest disrupted railway operations, affecting 20 train services.
According to officials, four trains were cancelled, seven diverted, three short-terminated, four short-originated and two rescheduled.
The cancelled trains included the Beas-Tarn Taran DMU (up and down) (74605 and 74606) and Ferozepur Cantonment-Jalandhar City trains (74936 and 74937).
The diverted trains included the Amritsar-New Jalpaiguri Amrit Bharat Express (14664), the Amritsar-Jaynagar Shaheed Express (14674), the Amritsar-Ajmer Express (19612), the Nangal Dam-Amritsar Express (up and down, 14505 and 14506), the Jammu Tawi-Bhagat Ki Kothi Express (14804) and the New Delhi-Amritsar Shatabdi Express (12031).
The Ludhiana-Chhehrata DMU (64551) was short-terminated at Jandiala, the New Delhi-Amritsar Shan-e-Punjab Express (12497) at Jalandhar, and the Ludhiana-Ferozepur DMU (54051) at Moga.
Four trains -- the Chhehrata-Ludhiana DMU (64552), the Amritsar-New Delhi Shatabdi Express (12032), the Amritsar-New Delhi Shan-e-Punjab Express (12498) and the Ferozepur-Ludhiana DMU (54052), were short-originated.
Two Ferozepur-Jalandhar DMU services (74936 and 74938) were rescheduled.
The changes in the railway operations affected commuters travelling for work, business, medical treatment, education and other essential purposes.
Passengers whose trains were diverted or terminated before their destinations had to spend additional time and money and, in some cases, alter their pre-planned journeys.
Kamal Mittal, a resident of the cantonment area who was going to Jalandhar, said he had to travel for an urgent work-related purpose but learnt at the railway station that the train would not operate due to the protest. He said he would now have to travel by bus to reach his destination.
Farmers decided to call off their rail blockade following a meeting with Inspector General of Police (Border Range) Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, Amritsar Deputy Commissioner Dalwinder Singh and other officials.
It was agreed that farmer leaders would meet the agriculture minister in Chandigarh on September 24.
KMM leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said that, according to the assurances given by the deputy commissioner, an amount of Rs 3 lakh each would be provided to the families of farmers and Rs 2 lakh each to the families of farm labourers who died by suicide due to debt.
They have also received an assurance that pending jobs and compensation for the families of the farmers and labourers who died during previous agitations would be provided within a month.
The meeting also saw an agreement to resolve cases related to stubble burning, police and the railways, according to the KMM.
Later, the deputy commissioner himself addressed the farmers at the protest site and apprised them of the conclusions arrived at during the talks, according to a statement.
The protesting farmers stated that their major demands include:
Other demands include a resolution passed in the Assembly against the proposed India-US trade agreement, returning vehicles and other belongings allegedly seized or taken away from the Shambhu and Khanauri protest sites, and ownership rights for all categories of farmers and workers cultivating land.