The ongoing farmers’ protest has taken a toll on rail services in the Ambala division of the Northern Railway, disrupting several train routes. Captain Shashi Kiran, Chief Public Relations Officer of North Western Railway, provided details of the impacted services due to the protest.
As a consequence of the rail disruptions, commuters are advised to check for updates and plan their travel accordingly.\
Cancelled trains:
Train number 04753, Bathinda-Shri Ganganagar service, will not operate on February 15.
Train number 04756, Shri Ganganagar-Bathinda service, stands cancelled on February 15.
Partially cancelled trains:
Train number 14736, Ambala-Shri Ganganagar service, scheduled to depart from Ambala on February 15, will only run up to Bathinda, resulting in cancellation between Bathinda and Shri Ganganagar.
Train number 14735, Shri Ganganagar-Ambala service, will depart from Bathinda on February 15, leading to cancellation between Shri Ganganagar and Bathinda.
Route altered trains:
Train number 19612, Amritsar-Ajmer Express, will follow a changed route through Tarn Taran Jn.-Beas on February 15, 2024.
‘Delhi Chalo’ march by farmers
In tandem with the rail disruptions, the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march by farmers from Punjab against the central government has entered its third day on Thursday. The protest is led by the non-political Sanyukt Kisan Morcha and the Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, headed by farmer union leaders Jagjeet Singh Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher.
A crucial meeting between the farmer unions and the central government is scheduled for today at 5 pm to address the issues raised by the protesting farmers. The farmers have presented a list of 12 demands, including the enactment of a law ensuring a minimum support price (MSP) for all crops, inspired by the Swaminathan Commission report.
Among their other demands are a complete debt waiver and the implementation of a pension scheme for both farmers and farm laborers. The farmers argue that these measures were promised by the Central government in response to their 2021 protest, prompting them to resume their agitation when those promises were not fulfilled.