Punjab farmers' group hold protests at toll plazas across state

Amritsar: Punjab's farmers' body on Thursday intensified their protest at several toll plazas in the state against the Punjab government for ignoring their demands.

The Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) gave a call for holding protests at 18 toll plazas in the state for a month beginning Thursday to press the state government to accept their various demands, including farm debt waiver, remunerative prices for their crops and compensation for damage to crops.

During their protest, farmers will not allow the fee to be deducted for any vehicle passing through the toll plazas, KMSC General Secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher said, adding that they are free for commuters in the state till January 15.

He alleged the apathetic attitude of the state government towards the issues of farmers.

Pandher further said they will ensure that the employees of toll plazas get their salary for this month. He further said they will also not let the toll plaza operators raise toll charges.

The toll plazas are located in Amritsar, Hoshiarpur, Tarn Taran, Pathankot, Ferozepur, Fazilka, Moga, Jalandhar and Kapurthala.

Pandher said farmers owing allegiance to the KMSC earlier held protests at the deputy commissioner offices in the nine districts but their demands were ignored.

The KMSC has also threatened to make more toll plazas free in the coming days if the state government did not accept their demands.

On December 7, Punjab Agriculture Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal urged representatives of the KMSC to withdraw their protest, assuring them that the state government was striving to resolve the issues of growers.