Tue Dec 31 01:12:53 UTC 2024: ## Punjab Grinds to Halt During Farmers’ Bandh

**Chandigarh, December 30** – A nine-hour bandh called by protesting farmers in Punjab brought the state to a standstill on Monday. Organized by the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and the Samyukt Kisan Morcha-Non Political (SKM-NP), the protest, which ran from 7 am to 4 pm, aimed to pressure the government to meet several demands, primarily a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Prices (MSP).

The bandh saw widespread disruption, with roads blocked and over 172 train services, including Vande Bharat Express trains, cancelled. An additional 232 services were significantly affected. Shops and industrial units also closed across the state, with the highest number of protests reported in Amritsar (32), followed by Patiala (12), Moga (10), and Sangrur (9).

Several farmer unions, including Krantikari Kisan Union (KKU) and BKU Dakaunda (Dhaner), participated in the action. While organizers claimed widespread public support and denied coercion, industrial bodies sharply criticized the disruptions. They estimated losses exceeding ₹500 crore and warned of damage to the state’s economy and investor confidence. Concerns were raised about the state government’s seeming inaction.

The bandh coincided with a looming Supreme Court hearing on the health of farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on a 35-day hunger strike and has refused medical treatment. The court is scheduled to review the Punjab government’s efforts to provide him with care on December 31. The government stated it faces significant resistance from protesting farmers preventing Dallewal’s hospitalization. The unrelated information regarding bank GNPA ratios was omitted as it is not relevant to the news story.

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