Punjab Farmers Announce Train Resumption, Seek Talks With Centre

The farmers have been protesting by blocking roads and railway tracks against the farm laws since early September.

Members of various farmers organisations gather in protest. Image used for representation purposes alone.

(Photo: PTI)

The farmer unions in Punjab on Saturday, 21 November, announced the resumption of all trains from Monday, 23 November, for 15 days and sought the Centre to open talks regarding the controversial farm bills.

“If talks don't happen in 15 days, then agitation will resume,” said the Information & Public Relations Department, Punjab, reported news agency ANI.

The farmers have been protesting by blocking roads and railway tracks against the contentious farm laws since early September, when they were passed in the Lok Sabha. Amarinder Singh, the chief minister of Punjab, has welcomed this development and urged the farmers to stand down.

Minister Sunder Sham Arora, in an interview with PTI, said that the railway blockade has resulted in “losses to the state economy worth Rs 22,000 crore” and “the railways have suffered an estimated Rs 1,200 crore loss.”

In October, Punjab was the first state to formally oppose the farm laws. In an attempt to reject the ordinances, the Punjab Assembly passed three bills, one to counter each law.

(With inputs from ANI)