Farmers protest at Warring toll plaza, declare it toll-free

Ten days after a face-off with the residents of Warring village, members of the Bharti Kisan Union (Sidhupur) on Wednesday started a protest at the Warring toll plaza on the Muktsar-Kotkapura Road, declaring it toll-free.

The farmers alleged that the private company operating the plaza had failed to fulfil key conditions, including the construction of bridges over the Rajasthan and Sirhind feeder canals. They claimed that despite repeated assurances, commuters continue to face difficulties in crossing the canals safely.

"We will not allow toll collection until both bridges are constructed,” said a protesting farmer, Harbhagwan Singh, adding that the agitation would continue until all demands were met.

Farmers acknowledged that work on one of the bridges had recently started but maintained that the company’s “delayed action” had eroded trust. "Just one earth-moving machine is at the construction site, and the work is moving at a snail's pace," claimed the farmers.

Notably, the plaza had earlier remained closed for nearly two years following a tragic bus accident in 2023 that claimed eight lives.