Farmers demand abolition of toll, block traffic on highway

Our Correspondent

Abohar, May 25

Hundreds of farmers today blocked traffic on the Hanumangarh-Suratgarh mega highway protesting against toll tax.

Leading the protest, Jitender Saraswat, convener, Sangharsh Samiti, said the 52-km mega highway was developed by the state-owned Road Infrastructure Development Company of Rajasthan. “Finding complaints alleging the use of sub-standard material for the construction, some of the erring officials were sacked as they submitted irrational inspection reports, but things have not changed,” he said. 

Farmer leaders Baldev Singh, Sadiq Muhammad and Rameshwer Verma said toll tax barrier at Dabli Rathan should be removed as the authorities had failed in putting the road in order and recovery of tax in the middle of such small distanced road had no justification. 

In a memorandum submitted to the Chief Minister through visiting officials, the sangharsh samiti demanded that toll tax barrier should be withdrawn, corrupt officials responsible for sub-standard construction should be sacked and the road be re-carpeted by filling the potholes. The officials invited the protesters to a meeting with the District Collector at Hanumangarh on Tuesday and assured that their grievances would be addressed.