Protesting farmers raise structures at Singhu, booked

Mukesh Tandon

Tribune News Service

Sonepat, March 13

The police have booked agitating farmers for allegedly constructing concrete structures at the Singhu border along the National Highway No-44 and digging a borewell in the Kundli area despite a ban. The police have registered two cases against the farmers under various sections of the IPC and the National Highways Act.

Farmers are protesting at Delhi borders against the three farm laws for more than three months. They have now started constructing concrete structures along the highway at the Singhu border, where they are camping since November 26.

Some farmers have constructed permanent structures with iron bars and bamboos while others are using bricks to construct pucca structures at various spots along the highway. Masons and labourers can be seen working at various spots on the roadside building permanent structures.

“We are staying at the Delhi borders for the past over 100 days, but the Central Government does not want to pay heed to our demand of repealing the three farm laws. That’s why we have decided to construct special structures and have also brought solar panels. We are ready to stay here for a long time,” said Gurpreet Singh Sahabana, a farmer leader from Ludhiana.

“We have constructed a permanent structure for our union office and are ready to fight till our last breath. We will go back only after winning the fight,” said Gian Singh Mand, block president of the BKU (Lakhowal), Ludhiana.

“The farmers have no option but to build concrete structures to stay for a long fight and save our protesting brethren from the summer,” said Harinder Singh Lakhowal, general secretary of the BKU (Lakhowal)

“We are prepared for a long haul and will not go back till the government repeals the laws. We have come at the Centre’s door to save our land and our future generations,” he said.

“Not only permanent structures, but we have also installed solar panels. We are also constructing offices at the site,” he added.

Anand Sharma, Project Director, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), in a complaint to the police, said that constructions were underway along the NH-44. “Unidentified people have erected illegal structures along the NH-44 in front of Malwa Motors. These illegal constructions are causing damage to the NH-44”. The NHAI officials also sent pictures of the illegal constructions to the police.

Following the complaint, the Kundli police registered a case under the National Highways Act and Sections 283 and 431 of the IPC.

In another complaint, Pawan Kumar, Secretary of the Municipal Committee, Kundli, said despite a ban, Karam Singh, a protesting farmer from Bathinda, was digging a borewell in a field near KFC Mall, near the NH-44. The Municipal Engineer had tried to stop the digging but it was still “continuing”. The police have booked Karam Singh under the National Highways Act and Section 188 of the IPC.

Inspector Ravi Kumar, SHO, Kundli, said two cases had been registered against the farmers for constructing illegal structures and digging a borewell, on the complaints of the Project Director, NHAI, and the Secretary, Municipal Committee, Kundli. A probe into the matter was underway, he added.

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