Chandigarh: The farmers' agitation march from Punjab to Delhi has led to a major fuel crisis in the state as the supply of the fuel to the state remained around 50 per cent low due to the transportation issue. The government on Tuesday stated that amid the ongoing farmers' protest, which has led to a chaotic situation at the Punjab-Haryana border, the dispatch of diesel to Punjab remained 50 per cent less, while the supply of gas was 20 per cent less.

The farmers' are carrying out protest marches to Delhi from Punjab seeking the fulfillment of their 12 demands by the central government including the issue of MSP. The farmers' on Monday had signalled a go ahead to their agitation march, after their meeting with the three Union ministers in Chandigarh reportedly remained inconclusive.

Farmers seek fulfillment of 12 demands

The protest march has been called by the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha and Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee under the leadership of farmer union leaders Jagjeet Singh Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher.

The protestors alleged that the central government had promised them better crop prices, after which they ended the 2021 protest. They are demanding to enact a law guaranteeing a minimum support price (MSP) for all crops, as recommended by the Swaminathan Commission report.

They are also demanding a complete debt waiver and a scheme to provide pensions to farmers and farm labourers.

In their demands, the farmers have urged the government to scrap the Electricity Amendment Bill 2020 and reintroduce the Land Acquisition Act of 2013, ensuring consent from farmers and compensation at 4 times the collector rate.

An appeal to provide 200 days of employment per year and a daily wage of Rs 700 under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA) linking it with farming has also been made by the farmers.

Punishment for Lakhimpur Kheri incident accused

The farmers are also demanding stringent punishment for the accused involved in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident, wherein a vehicle had crushed several villagers to death, while they were carrying out a protest march.

Not only this, they have demanded compensation to the families of farmers who died during the protests in 2021 and a job for any family member has been put in place.

Chaotic scene at Shambhu border

Amid the ongoing protest, the Shambhu border at Punjab and Haryana border remained filled with chaotic scenes on Tuesday, where the police had made arrangements to block the protestors’ way to prevent them entering Delhi.

Farmers were captured vandalising flyover’s safety barrier at the border and throwing barricades. Following which the police fired tear gas shells and water cannons to disperse them.

Concrete slabs, iron nails, barricades, barbed wires, police and paramilitary personnel were deployed by the police at several parts of the border.