States » NorthPosted at: Sep 17 2026 5:14PM


Punjab farmers block rail tracks at five locations over MSP, debt relief demands

Neeraj Bali
Chandigarh, Sept 17 (UNI) Farmers blocked railway tracks at five locations across Punjab on Thursday, disrupting train services as they pressed the government to meet demands including a legal guarantee for minimum support prices (MSP), debt relief and the withdrawal of its land pooling policy.
Farmers affiliated with the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha occupied tracks at Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Moga, Firozepur and Sangrur, organisers said.
At Devi Daspura near Amritsar, protesters protested on the railway track while representatives of farmer organisations held talks with police and district administration officials.
Germanjit Singh Bandala, a leader of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, said the organisations had repeatedly raised their demands with the government but several commitments remained unfulfilled.
"We have been raising these issues for a long time. The cases registered against farmers and labourers during the agitations should be withdrawn unconditionally," Bandala told reporters.
He said the government should also provide compensation and jobs to the families of farmers and labourers who died during previous protests, in line with commitments the organisations say were made to them.
The protesters are seeking a legal guarantee for MSP for crops including basmati rice, mustard, potatoes, moong and maize, as well as debt relief for farmers and agricultural labourers.
"We want a legal guarantee for MSP and relief from the debt burden on farmers and labourers," Bandala said.
The organisations also called on the Punjab government to withdraw its land pooling policy and introduce a comprehensive crop insurance scheme.
Bandala said the government should provide farmers with a workable solution for managing paddy stubble rather than registering cases against those who resort to burning crop residue.
Farmer groups also sought 37.7 million rupees ($430,000 approximately) in compensation for losses they said were suffered during protests at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders, including tractor-trolleys that were allegedly damaged or stolen.
The protesters said their agitation would continue unless the government took concrete steps on their demands.
Thursday's blockade affected rail movement through the protest locations, while police and administrative officials continued talks with farmer representatives in an effort to resolve the standoff.
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Tags: #Punjab farmers block rail tracks at five locations over MSP# debt relief demands
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