Sangrur/Amritsar/Ferozepur/Jalandhar, Dec. 6 -- As many as 16 trains were delayed across the Ferozepur division on Friday after a statewide 'rail roko' protest by farmers' unions. Several farmers and their leaders were detained and released later by police at many places across Punjab before they could squat on the rail tracks. The farmers are opposing the Centre's draft Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2025, removal of prepaid meters, reinstatement of old meters, and forcible sale of public properties by the AAP government in the state. Farmers' outfits, including Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), had announced a statewide two-hour 'rail roko' protest for Friday at 26 locations in 19 districts in the state. The blockade of tracks caused widespread inconvenience to commuters. Officials of Ferozepur Division said that while train movements were significantly hit, no train in the division was cancelled or diverted. "Trains were halted at various stations as a safety measure. The railway authorities maintained uninterrupted movement of essential freight, monitoring the network closely through the control system," an official statement added. Various trains were delayed including the Amritsar-Bikaner, Lohian Khas-Ferozepur, Ferozepur Cantt-Jalandhar City, Dera Baba Nanak-Amritsar, Ferozepur Cantt-Rishikesh Express, Ferozepur Cantt-Ludhiana, Fazilka-Firozepur Cantt, Chheharta-Ludhiana, Ferozepur Cantt-Haridwar Express, Amritsar-Verka, Ferozepur Cantt-Intercity Express, Shant Punjab Express, Amritsar-Katra, Amritsar-Pathankot, Beas-Tarn Taran, and Ferozepur Cantt-Fazilka trains. In Sangrur, over 150 farmers, associated with the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Azad), were taken into preventive custody from Bharur village in the afternoon. The farmers had earlier intended to sit on a dharna at Sunam railway station, but after 20 farmers of BKU Ekta Azad, including state president Jaswinder Singh Longowal, were detained early morning, they moved towards Bharur village. Around 50 others were detained from Chhajli railway station. DSP Sukhdev Singh said all the farmers have been released. In Amritsar, KMM activists led the protests with its leader Sarwan Singh Pandher stating that farmers blocked tracks at 18 locations. "Police attempted to halt the protest at several key points, including Deviedaspura-Meharbanpura crossing on the Delhi-Amritsar main line, Dhariwal railway station on the Amritsar-Jammu route, and the Parmanand crossing in Pathankot," he said. He urged CM Bhagwant Mann to pass a resolution against the draft Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2025, in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha. Similar protests were reported in Tarn Taran (Mall Mohri and Gohalwar), Ferozepur (Basti Tankan Wali, Ferozepur Cantonment, Kohar Singh Wala, Guru Har Sahai, Mallan Wala, Talwandi Bhai, Makhu), Jalandhar (Shahkot), Kapurthala (Dadwindi), Moga (Ghall Kalan, Dagru), and Fazilka (Sher Muhammad crossing). In Lehra Muhabbat (Bathinda), farmers were detained after a one-hour blockade. In Jalandhar, police restricted the movement of protesters towards Jalandhar Cantt railway station and detained over 40 farmers. The protests had little impact at Ludhiana Junction. Only six trains run between 1-3 pm from the station. "Kolkata-Akal Takht Express, which usually reaches the station during this time, was stopped at Ambala. The rest of the trains ran around their normal time," they added....