Punjab bandh: Besides a legal guarantee on the MSP for crops, the farmers are demanding a debt waiver, pension for farmers and farm labourers, no hike in the electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases and “justice” for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
Punjab bandh: Farmers in Punjab have announced a statewide shutdown on Monday which is set to disrupt road and rail traffic between 7:00 am and 4:00 pm. The call for the bandh comes as part of an ongoing protest led by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha. These groups have been staging protests at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points since February 13, following their halted march to Delhi by security forces.
In solidarity with the farmers’ statewide bandh, bus services across Punjab will be suspended for varying durations on Monday. The Punjab Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) bus services will remain inactive from 10 am to 2 pm, following the announcement by the PRTC Punbus Employee Union in support of the ongoing farmer agitation. Meanwhile, private bus operators have extended full backing, declaring the suspension of services statewide from 7 am to 4 am.
The bandh will also disrupt both road and rail traffic during these hours. As per reports, government and private institutions across the state will also remain closed from 7 am to 4 pm. However, emergency services will remain unaffected to ensure essential operations. Various groups, including traders, transporters, employees’ unions, toll plaza workers, ex-servicemen, sarpanches, teachers’ unions, and social organisations, have announced their support for the farmers’ cause.