Farmers lay siege to toll plazas in Punjab, make roads toll-free for public till Jan 15

Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee leaders say decision to intensify protest, which began on November 26, was taken as their demands were being ignored

Farmers owing allegiance to the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) on Thursday laid siege to 18 toll plazas in Punjab for a month to intensify their protest against the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party government, who they accused of ignoring their demands.

Members of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) laying siege to a toll plaza in Amritsar district on Thursday to intensify their protest against the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party government, who they accused of ignoring their demands. (Sameer Sehgal/HT)

During the agitation period till January 15, the protesters at the plazas will ensure toll-free travel for commuters.

This action is a part of the indefinite protest in front of offices of deputy commissioners in Punjab since November 26.

The demands of the protesters include checking drug smuggling; improving law and order; implementing the minimum support price (MSP) guarantee law for crops on the lines of the Kerala government; hiking wages of labourers under MGNREGA; making a concrete policy to save Punjab’s waters; providing guarantee for alternative crops to paddy; meeting pending demands of the Delhi morcha (protest); revoking decisions that deprive states from exercising their rights; acting against culprits of the Lakhimpur Kheri episode; and exemplary punishment to culprits of the Bargari sacrilege and Behbal Kalan police firing in 2015.

In Amritsar district, the protester assembled at the toll plazas at Kathunangal on the Amritsar-Pathankot national highway, Manawala on the Amritsar-Delhi national highway and Chhidan on the Amritsar-Attari national highway.

In Tarn Taran district, toll plazas at Usma and Manan have turned protest sites for farmers, while they staged protests at the toll plazas at Giddarpindi and Ferozeshah in Ferozepur district.

Besides, farmers started sit-in at toll plazas in Pathankot, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Moga, and Fazilka districts.

According to KMSC leaders, payment of salaries of toll employees by companies will be ensured during the period.

Interacting with the media at Manawala toll plaza near Amritsar, KMSC general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher said, “Governments have played with public interest by acting as pawns of corporate houses. We have holding the morcha since November 26 but no attention was given to our demands. So, we decided to lay siege to toll plazas that are benefiting corporates.”

KMSC president Satnam Singh Pannu said the toll plazas must be removed from the highways permanently.