Farmers lift dharna outside DC office, toll plazas in dist

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 15

Without any visible achievement during the last 51 days of protest, Kisan Mazdoor Sangarsh Committee (KMSC) lifted dharnas from the Deputy Commissioner’s office here and at three toll plazas in the district on Sunday.

KMSC general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher said, “The agitation would move forward in other ways. In a first of the many actions planned for the future, we will organise massive rallies at all district headquarters on January 26.” Pandher claimed that the recent agitation of 51 days and the way the state government has even failed to initiate a dialogue, it has become clear that the governments are not bothered by the peaceful protests.

“If the government had initiated talks, we would have reasons to believe that the government is concerned about the problems of the people,” he said. He further said that the dharnas from all 10 district headquarters and 19 toll plazas in the state have ended today.

The KMSC leaders also claimed that before vacating the protest sites at toll plazas, they have ensured that the employees working at the toll plazas have received their salaries. “We also demand from the government to build free-ways where people can travel without paying toll fee as the vehicle owners are bound to pay road tax at the time of purchasing the vehicle,” said farmer leader Gurbachan Singh Chabba.

The leaders said they had demanded that the toll fee be slashed by 75 per cent. They also demanded better wages and working conditions for the employees at toll plazas.

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