JALANDHAR, AUGUST 20-Deputy Commissioner Ghanshyam Thori, Commissioner of Police Gurpreet SinghBhullar, and SSP Naveen Singla on Friday evening met the farmers protesting atNational Highway near Paragpur while holding discussions with union leaders.
The DeputyCommissioner said that the farmers were appealed to lift their dharna from theNational Highway so that smooth and hassle-free traffic movement could beensured in the larger public interest. He apprised that in the wake of theirdemands, the state government had already increased the State Approved Price(SAP) of sugarcane crop from 310 to 325; however, the farmers demanded morehike in SAP. The DC, CP and SSP apprised the farmers that their demands werebeing taken up with the high-ups in the government so as to ensure quickredressal of their concerns.
Visuals of theprotest showed hundreds sitting on NH 1, waving farmer union flags and shoutingslogans against the government. As many as 32 farmer unions have gathered forthis protest.
Due to this, commutersfrom Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Pathankot and other adjoining areas, whowere to shuttle across Jalandhar-Phagwara stretch of NH-1 in Dhanowali by roador rail, faced a huge bottleneck on Friday as the farmers blocked the passageindefinitely.
They also blocked therailway track near Dhanowali village, due to which the Shane Punjab Express(from Amritsar to Delhi) was stopped at the station in Jalandhar. At leastseven other trains, including the SVDK Vande Bharat Express, have alsobeen affected.