Punjab: Farmers block railway track, say compensation for land acquisition inadequate

Amritsar, May 18

Hundreds of activists of farmers’ outfit Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMC) on Thursday squatted on a railway track and blocked rail traffic at Devidaspura village here over alleged inadequate compensation for the land acquired for the Bharatmala project.

Railway officials said incoming and outgoing trains running between Amritsar and Delhi were affected after 12.30 pm in the wake of the farmers’ protest.

They said all trains on this particular section here are being diverted.

KMC spokesperson Gurbachan Singh Chabba said the farmers are protesting on the compensation issue in connection with the acquisition of land for the Bharatmala project.

He said that government was acquiring the land but not paying adequate compensation as desired by farmers.

The protest at Devidaspura, around 20 kilometres from here, was led by KMC leader Sarwan Singh Pandher.

Chabba also alleged that a woman farmer was slapped by a policeman in Gurdaspur district, accusing police of using force against protesting farmers.

“The highhanded attitude of the government and its police which applied force to uproot the farmers from their agriculture land is condemnable,” he said.

 Chabba alleged that police cane charged farmers who were protesting peacefully against the government for acquiring their farmlands for the expansion/construction of the Delhi-Katra national highway.

He said the incident occurred at Cheema Khudi village in Gurdaspur.

When asked for how long the farmers will continue to block the railway traffic, Chabba said a series of meetings between the farmers’ outfit and the administration were going on and the final decision would be taken by evening.