Farmers call off rail roko agitation

Agitating farmers tonight called off their two-day rail roko agitation following assurance from the state government that wheat from grain markets would be lifted at the earliest.
Protesters were also assured that Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal would meet farmers' delegation on May 7 in Chandigarh to look into their demands.
"We have withdrawn our agitation after we were assured that grains will be lifted," BKU (Ugrahan) General Secretary Sukhdev Singh said.
He further said that farmers would again resort to agitation if their demands were not met.
Singh said farmers lifted their blockade from railway tracks in Mansa and Bathinda at 7:25 pm. However, he said blockade at Devidasspura near Amritsar was lifted at around 10 pm.

Singh said that a protesting farmer identified as Joginder Singh died due to heart attack.

District administration assured farmers to give compensation of Rs 5 lakh and government job to one of the family members of the deceased, said Singh.
Meanwhile, railway official said rail services were restored on railway tracks in Delhi and Ambala divisions following the calling off of the farmers' agitation, though several trains were either cancelled or diverted or rescheduled in Firozepur division, which includes Amritsar railway station.
Railway services remained hampered for the second consecutive day today as farmers continued their protest at Mansa, Barnala and Amritsar by squatting on tracks protesting "tardy" wheat procurement and value cut imposed by the Centre.

Farmers owing allegiance to BKU (Ekta), BKU (Ugrahan) and Kisan Sangarsh Samiti protested at rail lines at Mansa railway station, Barnala Chowki at Barnala and Devi Dass Pura at Amritsar, disrupting the rail traffic, BKU(U) General Secretary Sukhdev Singh said.
Railway officials said that a number of trains bound for various destinations, including Amritsar and Bathinda, were short terminated due to the blockade on tracks.
Bhartiya Kisan Union Ekta (Ugrahan) and (Ekta) and Kisan Sangarsh Committee had jointly organised rail roko agitation for 28 hours starting since yesterday afternoon to highlight their demands for compensation over crop loss due to unseasonal rain and relaxation in procurement norms.

They have also been demanding a bonus of Rs 500 per quintal over and above MSP of wheat.