Tractor owners warn of chakka jam over rising challans in Nurpur
Former minister Rakesh Pathania gives 15-day ultimatum to police to stop ‘harassment’
Peeved over an unprecedented rise in challans and seizure of tractor-trailers by the Nurpur police, the tractor owners of Nurpur, Indora, Fatehpur and Jawali assembled outside the SP office here today.
Former MLA Rakesh Pathania gave an ultimatum to the district police to stop the alleged harassment of tractor owners through frequent challans and heavy penalties under the Mining Act within 15 days. Otherwise, he warned, 1,000 tractor-trailers would descend on the highway to stage a chakka jam.
On the occasion, a Sangharsh Samiti was also constituted to chalk out further course of action and spearhead the agitation if the state government and the local police did not stop the alleged harassment of tractor owners and seizure of their vehicles. The samiti will be led by Gulbant Singh and comprises office-bearers and members from all four subdivisions under the Nurpur police district. The Samiti also gave a 15-day ultimatum to the state government to stop issuing challans and warned that 1,000 tractors would take to the highway to stage a chakka jam.
Pathania, while addressing mediapersons, said that a large number of unemployed youths were earning their livelihood by transporting stone, gravel and sand in Nurpur, Fatehpur, Indora and Jawali subdivisions of Kangra district. However, the sharp rise in police challans and the seizure of tractor-trailers had made life miserable for them, many of whom belong to underprivileged families.
“The Congress, which came to power on the guarantee of providing one lakh jobs to the unemployed youths every year, has failed to create jobs. After waiting for employment, these jobless individuals raised loans to buy tractors and are now earning their livelihood by lifting minerals from local khuds using shovels and transporting the material on the doorsteps of consumers. But the police are not only seizing these tractors, they are also allegedly misbehaving with the owners and drivers and deflating the tyres of their vehicles,” Pathania alleged.
