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