Farmers hit the streets in Jalandhar over steep rise in prices of fuel, cooking gas

Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, July 8

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Hundreds of farmers and contractual workers under the banner of various farm unions hit the road against constant hike in petroleum products (petrol, diesel and LPG cylinder) on Thursday.

Apart from tractors-trailers, farmers arrived on horse carts. While the Doaba Kisan Sangharsh Committee stayed put at Pathankot Chowk, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Rajewal) and the Kisan Majdoor Sangharsh Committee’s activists protested at Rama Mandi and Lohian, respectively.

After parking their vehicles at Pathankot Chowk and on Rama Mandi-Ludhiana road, farmers honked to show their anger. Upset with power cuts and rising diesel prices, farmers had kept tractors on their trailers with banners stating ‘tractors on sale’ at Rama Mandi.

Joginder Singh, a farmer, said, “It’s unfortunate that we are not able to use our tractors due to costlier fuel. It has become difficult for us to irrigate fields by using generators.”

Similarly, women holding flags of the farm unions carried LPG gas cylinders, which read only a ‘Modi bhakt’ can refill it.

Farmers along with the youth morcha and contractual workers organised a sit-in dharna at BMC Chowk. Holding placards against the Centre, agitators arrived with empty cylinders.

Manjit Singh Rai of the BKU (Rajewal) said, “PM Modi-led government is increasing price of diesel and petrol on a daily basis. It has affected agriculture sector the most. Rising diesel prices have also brought transport business to the brink of collapse. Hike in oil prices have pushed up essential freight rates and inflation has peaked. Diesel price has been hiked 16 times from June 20 to date.”

No traffic snarls witnessed

While a large numbers of protesters took to the streets today, but no traffic snarls were witnessed. On highways, farmers had parked their vehicles on a single lane, which did not affect the traffic movement. Heavy police force and anti-riot teams were also deployed on the protest sites.