Farmers in Punjab to block rail traffic on Oct 7 and 8

Intensifying their protest against "anti-farmers' policies" of the state government, farmers' organisations in Punjab today decided to block rail traffic on October 7 and 8.

"If Punjab government and Union government failed to take steps for farmers benefit and stop anti-farmers' policies, peasantry will be left with no other option to block rail traffic in Punjab," Joginder Singh Ugrahan and Sukhdev Singh Kokari president and general secretary respectively of BKU (Ugrahan and Ekta) said here today.

"We will be hold a emergent meeting of farmers' organisations at a secret place to chalk out next course of action on October 8," they said.

They said that there was no other way then to intensify their agitation.

Agitation of rail traffic blockade programme will take place in 12 main cities and towns across the state, they said.

Both the farmer leaders declared that their main demand is to enhance the relief announced by state government of Rs 645 crore for cotton crop damage whereas farmers' union's estimate of loss of cotton by white fly is Rs 4200 crore.

"Such a meager relief announced by the government is not acceptable to them," they added.

They demanded Rs 40,000 per acre compensation for the damage of cotton and Rs 20, 000 per acre to farm labourers.

The state government is providing only Rs 8,000 per acre to the effected farmers in case of 10 per cent damage to the cotton crop, they said.