Protesters shut new toll plaza in Sriganganagar

Our Correspondent

Abohar/Sriganganagar, Feb 23

In less than three hours of its opening, a toll plaza was forcibly shut down by farmers when the contractors started collecting toll for the newly constructed Raisinghnagar-Anupgarh-Gharsana highway under the Bharatmala Project.

The farmers staged a dharna and raised slogans against the three farm laws. A Jaipur-based company has been awarded the contract for toll collection on the highway for three months. Project partner Surinder Pareek, a BJP leader and former sarpanch of Netewala village, claimed the NHAI had directed the company to collect toll from vehicles from today. The company opened its counters to collect the toll at 8 am, but the recovery had to be stopped after some farmers reached there.

Ranjit Singh Raju, convener of the Gramin Kisan Mazdoor Samiti and other leaders reportedly posted an audio message for farmers as soon as they learnt about the opening of the plaza. Soon, farmers led by Sheopat Ram Meghwal, a member of the national executive of the All India Kisan Sabha, arrived at the plaza. They interacted with operators and employees of the company and it was agreed that till the farmers’ agitation continues, no toll would be charged.