In midnight hearing, HC ordered opening of NH-44

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Chandigarh, September 24

In a midnight hearing on blockade by farmers using tractor-trailers and other vehicles at Shahbad in Kurukshetra, the Punjab and Haryana High Court directed the State of Haryana, its functionaries and other respondents to ensure that the National Highway-44 was kept open for free flow of traffic “so that the public at large is not put to inconvenience”.

The HC also made it clear that the district administration should have immediately taken steps to prevent the situation. Directing the respondents to prevent further deterioration of law and order situation, the Bench of Justice Augustine George Masih and Justice Alok Jain also called for sorting out the cause leading to the situation.

Sounding a word of caution, the Bench also made it clear that the direction was required to be given effect to forthwith. But the matter was preferably required to be resolved amicably. “Resort to the use of force should be the last option and that too unless the administration has no other way out,” the Bench added. The state Chief Secretary was also asked to submit details of the steps taken pursuant to the direction. The hearing lasted beyond midnight and the order was released on Saturday around 2 am.

A petition was filed in public interest against the state and other respondents by High Court advocate Randeep Tanwar through counsel Padamkant Dwivedi.

The Bench was informed that the highway had been blocked by deploying tractor-trailers and other vehicles, apart from erecting tents in the middle of the road. It was added that the blockade had been resorted to by a group of the Bhartiya Kisan Union, led by president Gurnam Charuni.

Dwivedi said blocking the national highway would not only affect the free movement of traffic and the country’s economy, but also cause inconvenience to commuters.