With ration, utensils, makeshift bathrooms in thousands of tractors, Punjab farmers plan for long haul in Delhi

Chandigarh, February 13

The farmers decided to begin their march to Delhi after a meeting with two Union ministers over their demands, including legal guarantee to MSP for crops, on Monday evening remained inconclusive.

Many farmers along with their tractor trolleys began the march around 10 am from Fatehgarh Sahib and moved towards Delhi via Shambhu border. The distance between Fatehgarh Sahib and Shambhu border is around 35-40 km.

Convoys of tractor trolleys by farmers could be seen heading towards the Shambhu border on the national highway. Elderly, youth and women could be seen sitting in the tractor trolleys.

Security personnel deployed in the Haryana side also asked a group of youths approaching the border from the Punjab side to stay away from the barricades near the Shambhu border.

The count of tractor crossed over 1,100 loaded with firewood, fuel, ration, utensils, makeshift bathrooms and even fans and coolers move to Delhi meaning they planned to stay put there.

Authorities in Haryana have fortified the state’s borders with Punjab at many places in Ambala, Jind, Fatehabad, Kurukshetra and Sirsa using concrete blocks, iron nails and barbed wire to scuttle the proposed march.

Riot control vehicles, including water cannons, have also been deployed at many places at Punjab and Haryana borders. Security personnel were keeping an eye through drones as well.

In Haryana, 64 companies of paramilitary personnel and 50 from the Haryana Police have been deployed across various districts.

In Delhi, security has been intensified with multi-layer barricades, concrete blocks, iron nails and walls of containers at border points.