Punjab's Medical practitioners have also extended their support to farmers' statewide shutdown call, PTC News reported.
Protesting farmers have organised Langar for commuters from outside state who are stuck in Bhogpur in Jalandhar district due to disrupted rail services in the wake of the statewide shutdown.
Ludhiana MP Amrinder Singh Raja Warring hit out at the Punjab government on its handling of the situation with farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal. Warring accussed Bhagwant Mann of conspiring with the Union government to crush the ongoing farmers protest.
“Instead of supporting S. Jagjit Singh Dallewal Ji, who is on a fast to death for our farmers, the AAP government is preparing to crush the movement. I want to tell the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann that farming is not our profession as Punjabis, it is our religion and the people of Punjab will definitely teach a lesson to every person who tries to suppress the farmers' struggle,” the Punjab Congress Chief said in a post on X.
Amid the ongoing shutdown, farmer leader Sharvan Singh Pandher has said that the residents of Punjab have wholeheartedly supported the Bandh. He also said that the protestors have installed more than 280 blockade to disrupt road and rail services
Farmers have blocked traffic at several places across the state as part of their Punjab Bandh hampering commuter traffic at large. Grain markets were shut in several places.
According to a report from ABP Sanjha, petrol pumps and liquor shops were seen open in Patiala.
According to reports from the local media, no impact of the Punjab Bandh call was seen in Chandigarh. The rural areas of Punjab are the ones that are mostly affected.
As part of the Punjab bandh call, the protesting farmers have blocked Ambala-Chandigarh expressway at Dappar toll plaza on key Delhi-Chandigarh highway.
The agitators in large numbers gathered at the toll plaza falling under Gholu Majra village of Derabassi town of SAS Nagar (Mohali), as early as 7 am.
To avoid inconvenience to the commuters, the Ambala Police issued a traffic advisory for those travelling between Chandigarh-Delhi, Hisar-Chandigarh, Ambala-Chandigarh and vice versa.
The travelers have been advised to take alternate route via Panchkula, Barwala, Mullana, Yamunanagar, Radaur, Ladwa and NH-44 at Pipli or Panchkula, Barwala, Mullana, Yamunanagar, Radaur, Ladwa, Indri and NH-44 at Karnal.
The members of farmer unions have blocked railways tracks, national and state highways at several places in the region. The main markets were also closed in all the districts. Meanwhile, the public and private buses also remained non functional.
Employees of the state-run PRTC, in solidarity with farmers, have suspended bus services while blocking Chandigarh road at Banda Singh Bahadur Chowk in Samana.
According to PTC News, the call for Punjab Bandh has failed to garner support in Baba Bakala in the Amritsar district with businesses running as usual.
Protesting farmers have installed blockades at Landra Chowk in Mohali. Similar blockades have also been installed in Banur, Kharar, according to PTC News.
Langar has been set up at Amritsar's Golden Gate to prepare food for protesting farmers, who have called for a state-wide shutdown today.
There will also be no supply of milk, fruits, and vegetables until the protest ends on Monday evening as several trade organisations lent their support to the bandh.
Rail movement and road traffic will be closed on 30 December.
In support of the farmers' Bandh call, bus services in Punjab will remain suspended on Monday.
While the state bus services will be shut for four hours, from 10 AM to 2 PM, , the private bus operators have announced their full support, thus declaring the suspension of services across the state from 7 AM to 4 PM.
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.
Reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013 and compensation to the families of the farmers who died during a previous agitation in 2020-21 are also part of their demands.
Punjab Bandh Today live : There will be a complete bandh on December 30, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said. However, emergency services will remain operational. “Besides, anyone travelling to the airport to catch a flight or anyone going to attend a job interview, or anyone having a marriage function... all these things have been kept out of our bandh call," Pander said.
In view of the Punjab bandh today, the Indian Railways has cancelled over 200 trains plying on various routes in the state, including Vande Bharat and Shatabdi.
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