Jalandhar, November 9: In a major escalation over longstanding agricultural demands, sugarcane growers across Punjab have announced an indefinite agitation, declaring plans to block national highways and railway tracks in Jalandhar starting November 20. The decision follows a meeting of farmer unions representing cane cultivators who voiced deep resentment against the state government's delayed response to pending arrears and seasonal procurement schedules.
Key farmer leaders stated that the primary trigger for the upcoming rail and road blockade is the non-disbursement of sugarcane dues by sugar mills, along with demands for a higher State Agreed Price (SAP) for the upcoming crushing season. The unions highlighted that repeated assurances from the government and mill managements have yielded little financial relief, leaving thousands of cultivating families facing liquidity shortages ahead of the winter harvest.
The proposed protest is expected to severely impact inter-district vehicular traffic and major train corridors connecting Jalandhar to Delhi, Amritsar, and Jammu. Activists indicated that major arterial junctions—including the Jalandhar-Phagwara national highway corridor and crucial rail tracks—would be targeted if the administration fails to initiate official negotiations and disburse outstanding payments prior to the November 20 deadline.
In response to the demonstration announcement, local civil administration and police authorities have placed security units on standby to monitor union meetings. Officials are reportedly attempting to arrange tripartite discussions involving mill operators, district magistrates, and farmer union representatives to resolve the procurement deadlock and avert massive disruptions to passenger movement and goods freight across the region.
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