Farmers Movement Archive

Sonepat DC holds parleys with farmers to clear national highway

Following the observations of the Supreme Court that the central and state governments should coordinate to ensure that inter-state roads and national highways do not remain blocked due to farmers’ protest, the Sonepat district administration on Tuesday held parleys with the protesting farmers to clear the blockade at Kundli-Singhu border.Officials said during the meeting, Sonepat deputy commissioner Lalit Siwach told the farmers’ representatives that Kundli-Singhu border on NH-44 be cleared to give way to the common man.An official spokesperson said the DC told the farmers that the construction work of NH-44 under the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has also been hampered for long-time due to the farmers’ protest and is causing inconvenience to people.With completion of the construction work of the national highway, the general public will be at ease. In such a situation, if the farmers give way on one side of the road, then the construction of the national highway will be completed soon.On request of the DC, farmers’ representatives have assured to give a positive reply in this matter, the spokesperson said.Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) Doaba’s leader Manjit Singh Rai, who lead the farmers’ union with the Sonepat administration, said they will discuss the matter with senior Samyukt Kisan Morcha leaders pertaining to opening the highway near Singhu border.“The final decision will be taken by Samyukt Kisan Morcha senior leaders. We have appraised the same to the district administration,” he added.An apex court bench headed by justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, in its August 23 order, had said that the solution lay in hands of the central and the state governments concerned. The bench said they should coordinate to ensure that if the protests are on, at least the inter-state roads and national highways are not blocked in any manner whatsoever so that to-and-fro on those roads does not cause great inconvenience to other persons who use those roads.A Noida-based woman, Monicca Agarwaal, had petitioned the apex court contending that though she stays and works in Noida she has to travel to Delhi as she is in marketing job.Aggarwal told the court that she is a single parent and has some medical issues. And it has become a nightmare to travel to Delhi where it is taking two hours instead of normal 20 minutes.She contended that despite multiple directions passed by the apex court to keep the to-and-fro passage clear, the same still does not happen.

Hindustan Times

15-09-2021

Chandigarh