Punjab farmers' protest: CM Bhagwant Mann urges protesting farmers to avoid road blockades
Chandigarh, November 22: Following a demonstration where farmers occupied a stretch of the national highway in Jalandhar, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann appealed to the farm unions, advising against alienating people by blocking roads.
Under the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, farmers staged a blockade on the Jalandhar-Phagwara section of the Jalandhar-New Delhi National Highway near Dhanowali village, demanding a hike in sugarcane prices. This blockade was initiated on Tuesday, intending an indefinite disruption. Expressing concern, Mann stressed the importance of refraining from frequently resorting to road blockades for their demands, cautioning that such actions could lead to public disenchantment with their cause.
He urged the farmer unions to utilise platforms like Punjab Bhawan in Chandigarh, the Secretariat, the agriculture minister's office, or his own office for dialogue with the government, rather than obstructing roads.
Highlighting the impact of the ongoing protests, the disruption in the movement of vehicles from Jammu, Pathankot, and Amritsar via Jalandhar to Ludhiana, Chandigarh, Nawanshahr, and Delhi was evident. Commuters faced difficulties as police diverted traffic through alternative routes. During the demonstration, farmers erected a tent on the highway and spent the night, persisting in their demand for an increase in sugarcane's assured prices from Rs 380 to Rs 450 per quintal. The protesters remained resolute, affirming that the protest would continue until their demand was met.
- PTC NEWS
