NHAI wants farmers’ removal from UP Gate site, says protest causing damage to DME

The highways authority has written to the Ghaziabad district magistrate, requesting for removal of farmers from the DME.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has raised concerns about the maintenance of a stretch of the newly constructed Delhi-Meerut Expressway (DME) due to the ongoing farmers’ protest at the UP Gate near Delhi border. The highways authority has written to the Ghaziabad district magistrate, requesting for removal of farmers from the DME.

Farmers have set up tents on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway at the UP Gate border as part of the protest against the Centre’s three farm laws. Sakib Ali /HT

Hundreds of farmers under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) have been staging protests at the UP Gate since November last year, demanding rollback of the Centre’s three new farm laws and a new law on minimum support price.

The NHAI officials said that a stretch of about one kilometre is occupied by the protesting farmers who have put up tents at the Ghaziabad-Delhi side of DME.

“For the past 10 months, we have not been able to carry out any inspection and maintenance of the site which also has a flyover leading from Ghaziabad to East Delhi. There has been a growth of plants along the railing of the expressway. The lack of maintenance may result in an accident,” said Mudit Garg, project director, NHAI.

The letter, a copy of which is with HT, has also stated that as per the state support agreement, the state government in case of encroachment will provide police force for its removal.

Ghaziabad DM RK Singh said that the issues raised by the NHAI are being looked into. “We are also assessing the said loss/damage to the DME infrastructure. Suitable steps will be taken up,” he said.

The farmers, however, termed the move by NHAI as “politically motivated”.

“It is yet another attempt by NHAI to remove farmers from the site. There is a political motive to make our protest unstable. But, we are holding ground and also ensuring that there is no damage to the DME on our part. For this, our volunteers regularly take up cleaning and other activities,” said Jagtar Singh Bajwa, a farmer leader and UP Gate site spokesperson from SKM.