Gurdaspur: Rail traffic was
disrupted on Amritsar-Pathankot route for about four hours
Saturday as members of 17 Left-wing farmers' unions blocked
tracks here protesting "anti-farmer policies" of the central
and state governments, officials said.
The rail traffic was suspended between 1 pm and 4 pm as
protesting farmers refused to clear the rail tracks, they
said.
Sukhdev Singh Bhagokawan, member of the joint action
committee of the farmers' outfits, alleged that while
inflation continued to rise, farmers were not given the
minimum support price (MSP) of wheat and paddy at par with the
cost of farm inputs.
Farmer leader Satbir Singh said, "Due to un-remunerative
prices and increasing bank loans, the farmers are being forced
to commit suicide. The common man is finding it difficult to
meet the cost of living due to skyrocketing prices of
essential commodities."
Among other things, the farmers' demands included
interest-free bank loans and free power for home and tubewell
connections.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, October 29, 2011, 20:28