Farmers demand underpass on highway, protest at dist sect

Intensifying their agitation, farmers under the banner of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Tikait group) today staged a protest at the district secretariat in Yamunanagar.

The farmers have been holding a dharna on the highway for the past 25 days demanding the construction of an underpass on Shamli-Ambala highway near Potli village of the district.

They said that if this underpass is not constructed, the direct connectivity of the road to a large number of agricultural fields would be stopped.

According to the information available, a large number of farmers and office-bearers of BKU today assembled at the gate of new grain market, Jagadhri, situated in front of the district secretariat.

They staged a protest at the gate of the grain market and raised anti-government and anti-administration slogans.

Later, they marched to the district secretariat, where they held a sit-in and submitted a memorandum to Deputy Commissioner Parth Gupta.

The Deputy Commissioner told the farmers that a meeting with NHAI officials was underway to discuss the issue and their problem would be resolved soon.

BKU state president Ratan Mann said that a three-yard (about 16 ft) road was in existence in the revenue record of Potli village since 1952. He said that this road had been completely closed by the authorities of the highway by giving no crossing (not constructing an underpass) on the highway.

He further said that this road connected agricultural fields of farmers in a big area before the start of construction work of this highway, but now, this road has been closed.

“A large number of agricultural fields of the farmers of Potli village are situated on the other side of the highway. Due to the road closure, farmers will have to travel three to four km extra to reach their agricultural fields,” said Ratan Mann.

On this occasion, district president of the BKU Subhash Gurjar, Saheb Singh, Ramdhari, Naresh Mohri, Roop Singh, Kulwinder Singh, Dalbir, Baldev and other farmers were present.