Title - Farmers protest disrupt rail traffic in Punjab

Activists owing allegiance to 17different organisations of farmers in Punjab, including various factions of Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU), on Wednesday disrupted railway traffic across Punjab for three hours demanding that the state be declared drought hit.The activists squatted on rail tracks at several places on Delhi-Amritsar, Ferozepur-Ganganagar, Mansa-Jaito, Ludhiana-Ferozepur and Ambala-Bathinda sections disrupting train movements from 12:30 pm to 3:30 pm, said BKU (Ekta) general secretary Jagmohan Singh. However, officials said that the protest of farmers remained peaceful and most of the trains were either diverted or halted for about three hours in view of the stir.The protesters demanded that Punjab be declared a drought hit states in view of scant rainfall and a compensation of Rs. 10,000 per acre to farmers for their paddy, maize and sugarcane crops.Farmers are also against the rise in electricity tarriffs and imposition of new taxes in Punjab