Farmers Movement Archive

Will continue sit-in at toll plazas which have hiked charges: BKU

Barnala/Bathinda Farmers under the banner of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) and the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan) held massive protests in Barnala and Sangrur districts on Wednesday after calling off their dharnas opposite shopping malls, Reliance petrol pumps and outside the residence of BJP leaders. The Ugrahan group, however, has decided to continue sit-ins at toll plazas in Badbar, Mehal Kalan (SKM protest sites) of Barnala and Ladda and Kalajhar in Sangrur. The protest was also lifted from the Sangrur railway station. In Barnala, protesters ended their dharna at the City Railway Station parking on the 441th day, Manna Pindi and Sanghera Reliance petrol pumps and from outside the residences of BJP leaders Yadwinder Shunty and Archana Dutt. In Sangrur, farmers called protests from Kheri, Suman and Lehra petrol pumps.“Those toll plazas must give us in writing that they will not increase toll charges and we will end the protest there. Till the toll plazas continue with the hiked toll, our sit-in will continue,” said Joginder Singh Ugrahan, state president BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) who addressed farmers at Badbar toll plaza. “We have won a battle, but debt waiver and generating more employment are pending,” he added.Meanwhile, in Bathinda BKU general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan said it was not acceptable that the private firms charge higher highway user fees from the public. “After 441 days, today our activists ended their ‘Pucca Morcha’ at 30 places including the residences of the BJP leaders, petrol pumps, business and trade centres of corporate houses. Toll booths will be allowed to resume operations only if they assure to charge the fees levied before October 1, 2020,” said Kokrikalan.Meanwhile, before calling off the agitation on Wednesday, union activists gathered in large numbers at places. A large number of senior women union leaders joined for community celebrations against the BJP-led central government.

Hindustan Times

15-12-2021

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