Farmers Movement Archive

Farmers ‘free’ Haryana toll plazas for day, stage sit-ins

CHANDIGARH: Stepping up their protest, members of farm organisations took over the operations of key toll plazas in Haryana and made these toll-free on Saturday. Agitating farmers had earlier said they would picket toll plazas to press their demand for a repeal of the three new laws. In Rohtak district, members of Kisan Sabha, farm unions and residents first reached Makdoli toll plaza on the Panipat-Rohtak-Delhi highway. Toll plazas on Rohtak-Hisar highway at Madina village, Rohad toll plaza at Rohtak-Delhi highway, and Rohtak-Jhajjar-Delhi highway toll plaza at Dighal village were also made toll-free for the day. Police were deployed at toll plazas to keep law and order under control. In Karnal and Panipat, farm bodies took over Bastara and Panipat toll plazas on Delhi-Chandigarh highway and Peont toll plaza on Assandh-Karnal highway and stopped toll collection for the day. In the afternoon, protesters gheraoed the cavalcade of BJP MLA from Gharaunda, Harvinder Kalyan, at Bastara. Farmers from Punjab closed Bastara and Panipat toll plazas from midnight and allowed commuters to pass through without paying toll, while local farmers took over in the morning. A farmer from Punjab celebrated his birthday at the dharna site. With 40,000 vehicles crossing the two toll plazas in 24 hours, toll-free movement has caused considerable revenue loss. Farmers also “shut down” Reliance petrol pumps in Fatehabad and Sirsa districts. Farmers gathered at four toll plazas – two at Chaudharywas and Badopatti on Rajgarh-Chandigarh highway and those at Ramayana and Landhari on Delhi-Sirsa highway -- in Hisar district in the morning and made these toll-free. Bharatiya Kisan Sabha spokesman Sube Singh Boora said a peaceful protest was held at the toll plazas from 9 am to 4 pm. Apart from ensuring toll-free passage at Bhavdeen and Khuiyan Malkana toll plaza in Sirsa district through the day, farmers staged a dharna at a corporate owned petrol pump on Sirsa road in Ellenabad and shut down the pump. Similarly, farmers made passage at four toll plazas in Ambala, Kurukshetra and Yamunanagar districts toll-free. Heavy police force was deputed by Ambala police at the Shambhu border on NH-44 on Saturday. Ambala superintendent of police Rajesh Kalia said, “We had intelligence inputs that there is an organized plan to march them (farmers) today.” Devi Nagar toll plaza in-charge Ravi Tiwari said, “The toll has been free since 12 am last night…farmers are saying that this will remain free till 12 am tonight.” Farmers made two toll points at Baddowal village on Hisar-Chandigarh highway and Khatkar toll plaza on Jind-Patiala national highway free for commuters in Jind and staged a dharna from 9am to 3pm. Several khaps representatives, including Sarvajtiya Daran, Khera khaps, and villagers converged on the plazas in the morning and made them free.

The Times of India

2020-12-13

Chandigarh