Cane farmers block highway, rail traffic

Our Correspondent

Dasuya (Hoshiarpur), Nov 17

Under the banner of the Sugarcane Struggle Committee, Dasuya, Bharti Kisan Union, Doaba, Lok Bhalai Insaf Welfare Society and Majha Struggle Committee, farmers laid siege to the national highway and blocked the rail traffic too.

The blockade started at 10 am and was continued till late in the evening.

They were protesting against the decision of the sugar mills to pay Rs 275 per quintal as the price of sugarcane for year 2018-19. Farmers blocked the Jalandhar-Pathankot highway and also obstructed the Jalandhar-Jammu rail route near Garna Sahib. The farmers gathered in a large number in the morning and sat on a dharna on the road at 10 am. At 12.30 pm, they blocked the traffic by obstructing the level crossing there.

The main demands of the farmers were that the outstanding amount of 2017-18 should be deposited in the farmers’ accounts immediately, the cost of sugarcane should be revised to Rs 350 per quintal for this year and immediate notification should be issued for new rates and milling.

They declared that they would not remove the blockade till their demands were met. The administration had made preparations at a large scale to deal with the outcome of the agitation. All traffic was diverted on Miani, Tanda and Hoshiarpur Road. Police vehicles were seen around the spot in a large number. The district police had camped at the site of the dharna also. In the afternoon, Dasuya SDM Harcharan Singh called farmer leaders for talks but they refused to go there.

Afterwards, DC Isha Kalia came to the SDM office and talked to the farmer leaders and tried to persuade them. But the latter did not agree and insisted on continuing their protest till the demands were met and left the meeting.

Farmers’ leaders Baldev Singh Sirsa, Satpal Singh Daffar, Manjeet Singh Rai, Devinder Singh Basra, Angrej Singh, Gurpratap Singh Ludhiana, Sukhdev Singh Galowal, Sahib Singh Sahee Chhangla, Minta Cheema, Gurpreet Singh and Harpreet Singh were among those present.

A Jammu-Ahmedabad train was returned to Pathankot after waiting for three hours in Dasuya. All up and down trains on the route, including Malwa Express and Jalandhar-Pathankot Passenger, were stuck and finally returned to Jalandhar or Pathankot. By the time this report was filed, the road and rail blockades were continued by the farmers.