Agitating Farmers Seize Toll Plazas in Punjab And Haryana, Allowing Free Movement of Vehicles

New Delhi: The protesting farmers have overpowered staff at several toll plazas in the state of Haryana, allowing toll-free movement of all vehicles from Friday midnight.

Following a call by the leaders of the farmers’ unions, farmers seized the toll plazas on Delhi-Chandigarh National Highway 44 at Bastara in Karnal and at Panipat, along with Gullarpur toll plaza on Assandh-Karnal Highway, Milk-Majra toll plaza on Panchkula-Saharanpur Highway in Yamunanagar, and Hisar-Chandigarh National Highway (NH-152).

The farmers are also holding protests at the toll plazas accusing the government of forcing them to take such steps. The district administrations have issued prohibitory orders and also have imposed section 144, but the police have not taken any action to stop the farmers yet.

The farmers’ unions had given a call to make the toll plazas free for a day in order to intensify their agitation against the Centre’s three agriculture laws, after several rounds of talks between the government and the farmer leaders remained inconclusive.

The toll officials were not ready to speak over the incident. Requesting anonymity, an official at the Karna toll plaza stated, “Exactly at midnight, protestors reached the toll plazas and asked the officials to allow the movement of all vehicles without charging any toll. They removed the barricades.”