Farmers stop Dappar toll plaza working for 3 hours

Dera Bassi, March 26

Members of farmers’ unions, including the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Lakhowal), Bhartiya Kisan Union (Sidhupur) and the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Qadian), today staged a protest at the Dappar toll plaza and did not allow the collection of toll for nearly three hours in the afternoon.

A large number of farmers and local residents gathered at the toll plaza and staged a protest there for about three hours. They demanded toll fee be waived for the local residents with immediate effect.

Earlier, officials concerned had sought three months’ time for the resolution of the matter. The farmers’ bodies had given a protest call for March 26. Dera Bassi MLA Kuljit Singh Randhawa, SDM Swati Tiwana and DSP Gurbakhsish Singh reached the spot and spoke with the protesters, and expressed hope of a solution within 10 days.

The farmers’ unions have given the toll plaza officials time till April 5 to resolve the matter.

Meanwhile, the SDM, after holding a discussion with officials of the NHAI, said the administration would monitor the process of granting exemption to the local residents on a daily basis. —