Rail services in Punjab were disrupted today after agitating sugarcane farmers squatted on railway track between Chaheru and Jalandhar Cantt protesting against the Centre and state government over non-payment of their dues.
The movement of as many as 11 trains, including Malwa Express and Shan-e-Punjab, were hit hard due to the protest at Delhi-Amritsar and Delhi-Jammu lines which started around 11:30 this morning.
"Farmers have disrupted the rail traffic as they have squatted on track between Chaheru (Kapurthala) and Jalandhar Cantt, which affected as many as 11 trains," Divisional Railway Manager (Ferozepur Division), Anuj Prakash said today.
Despite persuasion by railway and district administration officials to call of their protest, farmers have so far refused to budge and continuing their agitation leading to long delay in the movement of trains.
Railway has also approached senior Punjab government officials to help in lifting the blockade, however, farmers continue to squat on railway track, Prakash said.
Appealing farmers to call off their protest for the sake of passengers, Prakash said that it has put passengers especially children and women to great inconvenience in this hot weather.
"If farmers' protest prolong, then we will have to suspend few trains," he said adding that efforts are being made to divert rail traffic from Nakodar.
The agitators have also disrupted the road traffic on National Highway between Rama Mandi and Jalandhar for two hours in support of their demands.
The farmers have also made food arrangements with themselves to prolong their agitation.
