Railways seeks complete security from Punjab govt. to resume services

The Punjab authorities has been unable to take away all blockades on the railway community with as many as 22 websites nonetheless to be cleared of protesters, Railway Board Chairman V K Yadav mentioned on Friday, including that the Railways wants 100% security clearance from the State to resume operations.

Mr. Yadav, in a press briefing on Thursday, mentioned the State authorities had given assurance that the tracks can be cleared by Friday morning.

Rail services within the State have remained suspended since September 24 when farmer organisations organised protests on tracks and station premises towards the not too long ago handed farm legal guidelines.

The Railway Board chairman mentioned the railways is not going to run selective trains, however will restore all services.

“There are 22 blockades remaining in the State as of now.The RPF and the State police have had meetings in Chandigarh yesterday and we have conveyed to them that they provide us security clearance for all trains so that we can restore them at one go. We will not start selective train services, whether freight or passenger. We have conveyed to them that we require 100% security clearance from them to begin operations,” he mentioned.

Sources mentioned that throughout the conferences with State authorities officers, it was indicated that the State needed freight trains to resume operations however not passenger trains. Also, there have been proposals from the State, sources mentioned, to start transportation of choose items for a choose variety of days, which the Railways declined to do.

Sources mentioned that the Railways has conveyed to the State authorities that this “on and off” system instructed by them was “not feasible“.

“We have bookings for our passenger trains and it is sad that during this festival season we are cancelling the trains everyday. I have full faith in the State government that in some time the blockades will be cleared and we won’t have to cancel the trains scheduled for tomorrow,” Mr. Yadav mentioned at a press briefing on Friday.

RPF Director General Arun Kumar mentioned that whereas in some locations protesters have been cleared from the tracks, they’ve accrued within the circulation space.

The concern, he says, is that these folks would possibly once more block the tracks.

“We have requested the State police to provide additional force so that if they converge on the tracks again, they can be restricted, he said.

Mr. Yadav reiterated the Railways’ demand that train services could resume only under one condition that “all blockades are removed and we get the State government’s assurance of safety and security of the trains“.

The loss suffered by the Railways due to the agitation in Punjab over the central farm reform laws has already crossed an estimated ₹1,200 crore as protests on train tracks continued.

According to data from the national transporter, over 2,300 freight rakes carrying vital commodities could not be operated till date due to the blockades caused by the protestors. Around 1,350 trains have been forced to be cancelled or diverted, it said.

Train services in Punjab have been suspended since September 24 due farmers’ protests. While it had resumed for a few days in October, it was suspended again due to concerns over safety and security of train crew members.

The three farm laws — the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 — were enacted recently.

Farmers’ bodies protesting against the laws have expressed apprehension that these would pave the way for the dismantling of the Minimum Support Price system, leaving them at the “mercy” of massive company entities. They demand that the legal guidelines be withdrawn.

The Centre has asserted that these new legal guidelines might be useful for farmers and can enhance their earnings.