Besides upping the ante against the Centre over the three new farm laws, farmers unions have taken to clearing the traffic chaos on the Jalandhar- Delhi national highway by laying siege on the Ladhowal Toll Plaza and forcing the free passage of vehicles.
The protesting farmers say the maintenance work on the stretch near Sutlej River is proving to be a bottleneck on both sides of the highway and that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has deliberately started the work now so as to give an impression that the protests are leasing to traffic problems.
Amrik Singh Kadian, who is heading the farmers’ protest at Ladhowal toll plaza, said, “The NHAI has deliberately initiated the construction work now to make it look like the farmers are causing the traffic jams. We have urged them to postpone the project for a few days but the authorities did not pay heed to our request. Finally, we were forced to deploy some of our supporters to help the local police in regulating the traffic.”
Commuters meanwhile are thanking the farmers. Karanpreet Kaur, a city resident who was returning from Amritsar today, said, “The traffic has been restricted at Ladhowal and Phillaur side of National Highway. And it gives an impression that farmers have blocked the toll plaza. But on reaching the toll plaza, we found that farmers actually helping to ease the traffic chaos.”
{{/usCountry}}Commuters meanwhile are thanking the farmers. Karanpreet Kaur, a city resident who was returning from Amritsar today, said, “The traffic has been restricted at Ladhowal and Phillaur side of National Highway. And it gives an impression that farmers have blocked the toll plaza. But on reaching the toll plaza, we found that farmers actually helping to ease the traffic chaos.”
{{/usCountry}}Another commuter Akshit Taneja said, “I am thankful to the farmers for not letting the toll authorities stop the vehicle. First of all, it takes half-an-hour from Ladhowal village to reach the toll plaza at Sutlej Bridge. If the toll would have been operational, it would have made the matter worse and the vehicles would have to stop which would have further compounded the problem.”
When contacted, Chanchal Rathore, in-charge of the Ladhowal toll plaza, said that he was sitting in a meeting and did not answer HT’s query.