Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh along with MLAs and MPs and party workers on Wednesday staged a dharna at Jantar Mantar against the controversial farm laws even as over 500 farmers groups under the banner of All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee have planned to block roads across the country on November 5, as part of an all-India “chakka jam”.
While the Punjab CM accused the Centre of “choking” the State by suspending goods trains, the Railways claimed it has lost `1,200 crore revenue from freight due to the farmers’ protest at 32 locations in several parts of Punjab and Haryana.
The farmers’ organization have decided to hold an all-India “chakka jam” (road blockade) between 12 noon and 4 pm on November 5. The federations, which included the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), also gave a call for ‘Dilli chalo” (come to Delhi) to farmers on November 26 and 27.
According to farmers leaders who have received support from 200 other unions associated with AIKSCC, they will be blocking all national highways between 12 noon to 4 pm. In Punjab, they will be blocking all State and national highways. Other than this, it has been decided to continue the gherao of businesses owned by corporate houses - toll plazas, petrol pumps and retail businesses, and outside the houses of BJP leaders in Punjab.
Amarinder alleged that the Centre has failed to pay Punjab its quarterly Goods and Services Tax dues and was cutting off access to the Disaster Relief Fund. “We’re buying power from National Grid from funds we’re left with,” he said. “The constitutional guarantee of receiving quarterly GSTs has not been fulfilled and is pending since March. Rs 10,000 crores is due. This step-motherly treatment is wrong.” We don’t have money, our coal stocks are over,” he said.
Amarinder began the day by paying his respects to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat. He later proceeded to Jantar Mantar to kickstart the dharna along with Punjab Congress MPs and MLAs. The Chief Minister said though they had earlier planned a relay ‘dharna’ at Rajghat but they had to shift to Jantar Mantar as Delhi police clamped section 144 at the area.
According to officials, Punjab State electricity board on Tuesday announced that it would have to impose power cuts of at least two-three hours from the evening as three private thermal plants have shut down and two electricity stations nearly running out of coal. The Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has been forced to purchase 1,500 to 1,700 MW power from the power projects. An estimated Rs 5-10 crore is being spent on buying power every day. Non-movement of the coal rakes has forced the authorities and private thermal power plant owners to shut the units bringing the power generation to a grinding halt.
Stoppage of goods trains has resulted in shortage of various essential items such as coal, petroleum products, urea, di-ammonium phosphate and jute bags. The shortage of jute bags is likely to impact procurement of paddy. While 30 percent of jute bags are provided by the authorities, 70 per cent are procured by the rice sellers. The blockade of rail and road transport has hit the supplies. Punjab mostly gets Jute bag supplies from West Bengal. Similarly, Punjab needs 14.5 lakh tonnes of urea for winter crops, but the State has only about 75,000 tonnes, according to Government officials.
At the protest, the Chief Minister said they had asked President Ram Nath Kovid to explain the situation in Punjab but he has not replied. “So we thought we’d come and share our views on the matter,” Singh said. “I haven’t asked for time from the PM [Prime Minister Narendra Modi] but I will in due course.”
On the other hand, a railway spokesperson in a statement said the Railways continue to lose revenue as freight operations remain forcibly suspended due to the track blockages in Punjab.”Till Date more than 2,225 freight rakes could not be operated upon carrying vital commodities. Loss already expected to have crossed Rs 1,200 crore already,” the spokesperson said.
Earlier in the day, a few Congress MLAs including Navjot Singh Sidhu were stopped by police at the Delhi border. Sidhu, who was also accompanying MLAs Raja Warring, Avtar Henry Junior, Rajinder Beri, Kaka Lohgarh, and Surjit Singh Dhiman, posted on Facebook a video of him arguing with the Delhi police. Sidhu said: “This is democracy. We are representatives of 10 lakh people. But they do not understand that we will hit back as much as we are suppressed.” The Delhi Police later escorted Sidhu and other MLAs till Punjab Bhawan, where the party MLAs had assembled to participate in the dharna.