Railways claims Rs 1,200-crore loss: Punjab farmers to vacate station premises

Farmers protesting the new farm laws.

Farmer organisations agitating against the Centre’s farm laws on Wednesday agreed to leave the railway station premises where protests are currently on. This came as the Railways on Wednesday said its estimated losses due to the rail roko protest in Punjab have crossed Rs 1,200 crore.

Farmers on Wednesday stated they will not succumb to pressure from the Centre and end the protest completely. Refusing to concede to the appeal of the Punjab Cabinet Ministers’ committee to allow passenger trains to operate, farmer leaders said they will allow only goods trains to operate in the state. “We have agreed to leave the platforms. But we will not lift our dharnas. We will agitate at a distance from the stations. The relaxation has been given only for goods trains. We will not allow passenger trains,” farmer leader Jagmohan Singh said after a meeting of all the farmer organisations at Kisan Bhawan in Chandigarh.

Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan, general secretary of farmers’ outfit BKU (Ugrahan), said, “’Railways is projecting a wrong picture. Our union is sitting at tracks at two places. But, these tracks are used only by thermal plants. The main lines are open.”

📣 The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay updated with the latest headlines

For all the latest India News, download Indian Express App.