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Hapur: Farmers’ protest against toll plaza on Meerut-Garh road continues on fourth consecutive day
Farmers and villagers in Hapur district, India, are protesting the construction of a toll plaza on the Meerut-Garh road, demanding the toll plaza be moved.
The leaders and activists of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) (Sangharsh) with farmers and villagers continued their protest on the fourth day at Popaai village in Hapur district on Saturday.
The farmers are protesting the construction of a toll plaza on the Meerut-Garh road at Popaai village, which is only ten kilometres away from Garhmukteshwar town.
The activists and leaders led by BKU president Saranjeet Singh Gurjar staged a dharna on December 12 against the National Highway Authority of India’s (NHAI) plan to construct a toll plaza at Popaai village.
Earlier on Friday, the protestors burned an effigy of NHAI and threatened to block the Meerut-Garh road on Friday which compelled the officials to meet them.
NHAI’s project director Sanjeev Vajpayee, sub-divisional magistrate of Garh Sakshi Sharma and circle officer Ashutosh Shivam met the protesting farmers.
Saranjeet Gurjar and the farmers rejected Vajpayee’s proposal to issue monthly passes to residents in adjacent villages. Gurjar questioned why the locals should pay for using their land. “We will not allow the construction of the toll plaza at the proposed site near Popaai,” said Gurjar.
Meanwhile, BKU (Asli) and Bhim Army also extended their support to the ongoing protest. Both Bar associations of Garhmukteshwar also supported the demand of protesting farmers and appealed to residents to join the protest.
BKU (Asli) official Harish Hoon stated that while the Union Minister announced in the Lok Sabha about removing toll plazas located within a 60-kilometre area of the highway, the NHAI has proposed a new toll plaza that goes against these standards. The farmers said that a toll plaza cannot be constructed just ten kilometres away from Garh city.
BKU (Asli) district president Rajendra Pradhan appealed to the people of all the surrounding villages to support the movement. The fight against the toll plaza will continue in the public interest of all, he said.
