Hindustan Times ·
Farmers’ body threatens rail blockade across Punjab if demands unmet
The announcement was made at a press conference at the Press Club, Amritsar, following a meeting of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), Punjab chapter, held at the headquarters of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Punjab, at Chabba
The Punjab chapter of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha on Wednesday issued an ultimatum to the Punjab government to resolve the demands of farmers and farm labourers by 12 noon on September 17, failing which it announced a rail blockade at five places across the state.
Addressing the media, leaders, including Sarwan Singh Pandher, Baldev Singh Zira, Balwant Singh Behramke, Jaswinder Singh Longowal, Manjit Singh Rai, said the morcha had been holding protests outside the residences of nine Punjab ministers for the past three days to press for its demands.
The leaders said the morcha had earlier written to the chief minister and submitted a memorandum seeking a meeting with the government, but no initiative had been taken so far.
The leaders said the government had been given time until 12 noon on September 17 to find a concrete solution. If the demands were not resolved by the deadline, the morcha would block rail traffic at five locations from noon on Thursday.
The proposed rail blockade sites are Devidaspura in Amritsar, Sangrur-Sunam, Gurdaspur, Moga and Ferozepur. They said the morcha would hold its next meeting on September 18 to review the government’s response and decide the future course of the agitation.
The protest outside the residence of cabinet minister Harbhajan Singh ETO in New Amritsar has now been shifted to the vicinity of the Devidaspura railway track, the leaders said.