Around 159 trains were impacted due to farmers staging a rail roko protest at the Shambhu railway station in Patiala district on Saturday, out of which 84 were cancelled. The protest, now in its fourth day, was initiated by farmers demanding the release of three farmers arrested by the Haryana Police.
The protest started on Wednesday, April 17, and in these four days 600 trains were affected. However, till Friday, April 19, refunds amounting to Rs 36 lakh were given over the counter to the passengers who suffered due to the protest. Meanwhile, according to a report in The Indian Express, an official from Ambala railway division revealed that the online refund data is to be calculated.
“Once that is added, the total refund amount will increase drastically,” he said, adding that Rs 13.02 lakh was given in Ferozepur railway division and Rs 23.22 lakh in Ambala railway division.
Ferozepur railway division has stations such as Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Ferozepur, among others while Bathinda, Sangrur, Barnala, Patiala, Ambala, Chandigarh, etc comes under Ambala division.
What is this protest?
The protest led by farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher is under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) in Shambhu. It is anticipated that the protest will continue until the three farmers get released. The SKM (Non-Political) and the KMM are spearheading the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march by farmers to press the government to accept their demands, including legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
“We have been sitting on the tracks of Shambhu railway station from April 17 and if the three arrested youngsters are not released by Sunday, we will start yet another indefinite dharna at Khatkar toll plaza in Jind district of Haryana from Monday onwards. We will also conduct a mahapanchayat in Jind on Monday,” Surjeet Singh Phool, president of BKU Krantikari, said.
Moreover, the farmers have been staying put at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 when their march was stopped by the security forces.