Sugarcane farmers block roads, rail tracks to demand payment of dues

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, September 2.

Thousands of sugarcane farmers blocked rail and roads at Dhanowal village on Jalandhar-Phagwara road to demand payment for their produce from private and cooperative sugar mills across the state on Wednesday.  They ended their protest after Cane Commissioner and  Agriculture Director agreed to their demands.

Led by two organisations — the Pagri Sambhal Jatta and Doaba Kissan Sangharsh Committee — some 8,000 farmers had demanded the government’s intervention to end the impasse.

Twelve trains ran behind schedule due to the strike.  

Meanwhile, farmers continued to protest in Ludhiana and Ferozepur districts.

Ferozepur division DRM Anuj Prakash confirmed the protests in the district.

In Ludhiana, farmers blocked the Ludhiana-Amritsar railway line, holding up several trains, including the Shatabdi Express, for several hours.

Several sugarcane farmers have not been paid since December for the produce that they sent to sugar mills last sugarcane season. 

Many private mill owners are now considering shutting down their loss-incurring sugar mills, a move that farmers oppose.