Farmer-Govt-Railway row end for 15 days
Railway inspects tracks in Punjab to run trains after 67 days
Ferozepur, November 23, 2020: The farmers have agreed to clear the rail tracks, initially for 15 days sitting for 67 days over the demand of three controversial Farm Laws and the railway has done the preliminary inspection work before making the operation from today.
The freight trains are likely to be restored on Monday evening followed by passenger trains from Tuesday once the safety and security protocols are completed, said a railway official.
The technical staff of the railway had been examining the tracks to ensure that there is no damage to tracks and power engines have been put on tracks to check the strength of the tracks which had been lying idle during the lockdown period and farmers' agitation on the railway tracks.
The railway boards' directions are awaited for the operation of trains as about 300 passenger trains and 400 freight trains had been parked on the tracks for 67 days and for about ten months since the lockdown. With the settlement between the farmers and government, all the trains are expected to be operational from today. After the lifting of lockdown, 50 special trains were on the tracks which too had to be withdrawn due to farmer’s agitation over the three farm bills.
The farmer's outfits had agreed initially for 15 days running of goods and passenger trains and would continue with their program of ‘Delhi Chalo’ on November 27, to protest for the withdrawal of three farm laws.
Krantikari Kissan Union, Secretary Press, Avtar Singh Mehma stated that after the dialogue with the government, 15 days time had been given and in case there is no concrete decision by the government, we will chalk out further strategy to protest to block the railway tracks.
According to Sudhir Kumar, Sr.DoM, we have completed the inspection at certain places and all preparations have been made to run the trains. The farmers have taken the decision to clear the trains for running of trains for 15 days in view of the inconvenience being faced by the various sectors especially the shortage of agriculture inputs and coal for thermal plans to run the power supplies.