Protesting farmers to meet Punjab CM on October 12

With the farmers' protest entering fourth day today and rail services remaining paralysed, ruling SAD invited the protesting farmers to hold talks with Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on October 12 for resolving their issues.

Rail services continued to remain paralysed for the fourth consecutive day today with a large number of farmers participating in Rail Roko agitation in support of their various demands.

Because of the farmers' protest, the movement of trains was hit at tracks including Ludhiana-Ferozepur, Ludhiana-Amritsar, Bathinda-Ambala and Ambala-Ferozeur, railway officials said.

Though the SAD has appealed to farmers to call off their protest, no prior condition has been put before the agitating farmers to hold talks with the Chief Minister by the ruling party.

"We have fixed a meeting of representatives of farmers' organisations with Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Monday in Chandigarh at 4:30 p.m, to hold discussions with them on the table," SAD MP Prem Singh Chandumajra said today.

Chandumajra has been assigned the responsibility of prevailing upon the agitating farmers to bring them on table for negotiations to discuss their demands.

"We have not put any condition before them for holding talks with CM. But we appeal to them to call off their protest to hold discussions in congenial environment," Chandumajra, MP from Anandpur Sahib further said, adding that SAD had always been taking pro-farmers steps.

Confirming the invitation by SAD for holding talks, BKU (Ugrahan) General Secretary, Sukhdev Singh Kokri said, "We will meet Punjab CM on Monday to discuss farmers' issues."

"We have also asked them for sending formal invitation letters to all farmers' outfits participating in Rail Roko agitation for negotiations with CM," Kokri said.

However, he said that the Rail Roko agitation would continue today.

"Any decision on calling off, suspending or extending agitation will be taken by the coordination committee of eight farmers' organisations later today," he said.

Farmers had earlier extended their Rail Roko agitation till October 10.

Earlier, the representatives of protesting farmers had met senior government officials led by Chief Secretary, but the talks remained inconclusive.