No toll for motorists as farmers picket plazas

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 25

On a call by various unions, farmers picketed toll plazas across the state on Friday, allowing commuters to pass without paying, which caused losses to these companies. The farmers announced that they would continue their protest at toll plazas till December 27.

In Karnal, farmers reached the Bastara toll plaza on NH 44 and Peont toll plaza on the Karnal-Jind NH 709-A. They staged dharna at both toll plazas. BKU (Charuni) president Gurnam Singh Charuni visited Bastara and exhorted farmers to continue their protest peacefully without harming anyone. “There will be no toll in Haryana for three days. Thousands of farmers are protesting at all toll plazas in the state,” he said.

In Panipat, BKU activists assembled at the Panipat toll plaza on NH 44 and Dahar toll plaza. Farmers led by district BKU president Kuldeep Balana reached the Dahar toll plaza on the Panipat-Rohtak NH 71-A to protest.

In Ambala, activists gathered at the Shambhu toll plaza on NH 44, Saini Majra toll plaza on the Hisar road and Thana toll plaza at Pehowa in Kurukshetra.

“Farmers have been protesting in a peaceful manner. We will camp here till Sunday night. Vehicles will continue to move freely without paying toll and there will be no blockade,” said BKU (Charuni) Ambala vice-president Gulab Singh.

Farmers also staged dharna at toll plazas in Sirsa and Jind districts. Hisar Kisan Sabha chief Shamsher Singh Nambardar said farmers would remain deployed at the toll plazas in Hisar on the Delhi road, Rajgarh road, Chandigarh road and Sirsa road.