Punjab farmers, Centre in talks to end rail blockade
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Goods trains haven’t entered Punjab for one and a half months now, besides for 2 days in late October, main to a scarcity of important items
One month after strolling out of talks with the Union authorities, Punjab farmer unions have returned to the negotiating desk in a bid to end the deadlock that has led to the stoppage of products trains in the State after rail roko protests in opposition to three controversial agricultural reform legal guidelines. They held discussions with the Agriculture and Railway Ministers on Friday.
Goods trains haven’t entered Punjab for one and a half months now, besides for 2 days in late October, main to a scarcity of important items, together with fertilizers wanted for wheat sowing and coal provides for thermal crops. Farmers say that since they’ve ended the rail roko, prepare companies ought to resume, and accused the Centre of blackmailing a complete State. The Railways say that passenger trains should even be allowed, and all stations cleared of protesters.
In talks final month, Punjab farmer leaders had been offended at being fobbed off with a gathering with the Agriculture Secretary and as a substitute demanded to meet with a bunch of ministers empowered to negotiate their demand to repeal the legal guidelines handed by Parliament final month. They are at present assembly with a three-member ministerial crew, together with Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Commerce Som Parkash. Railway Board chairman Vinod Kumar Yadav additionally addressed the assembly.
The farmers’ delegation is led by Krantikari Kisan Union president Darshan Pal and Bharatiya Kisan Union-Ekta president Balbir Singh Rajewal, and represents 30 farmers teams which have been collectively main protests in opposition to the farm legal guidelines. They say the brand new legal guidelines will dilute the regime of presidency procurement at minimal assist costs, profit corporates greater than small farmers, and lead to the demise of State-run mandis or markets. They are additionally protesting the Electricity Bill, 2020, which may end energy subsidies for farmers.
If their calls for will not be met with, farmer unions have vowed to observe a black Diwali day in the State on Saturday. They have additionally introduced a ‘Dilli chalo’ protest on November 26 and 27, with 1000’s of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh anticipated to arrive in the capital with tractors for an agitation.
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