CHANDIGARH: Farmers demanding Minimum Support Price (MSP) for sunflowers blocked the Delhi-Amritsar National Highway (NH-44) near Pipli in the Kurukshetra district of Haryana on Monday. As a result, the traffic going to Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Chandigarh and visa versa was affected. Long queues were seen on the highway while the Haryana police made several diversions to keep the traffic flowing.
Traffic coming from Delhi towards Punjab has been diverted at Sector 2 and 3 junctions at Kurukshetra, then put on the road via Brahma Sarovar, Kurukshetra University Gate Number 3 and then they take NH-152 D to reach their destinations.
Meanwhile, commuters going from Chandigarh to Delhi have been advised to avoid the Aman Hotel flyover and turn left below the flyover for Saha and travel via Dosarka, Adhoya, Babain, Ladwa, Indri and Karnal before coming back to NH-44 on the way to Delhi.
The farmers’ union leaders from Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and other neighbouring states gathered at Pipli grain market in Kurukshetra for the ‘MSP Dilao, Kisan Bachao Mahapanchayat’, demanding MSP for sunflower. At the mahapanchayat, it was decided to block NH-44 till the demands of the farmers are met.
Farmer leader Karam Singh Mathana said the local administration had assured them that their meeting with Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar will be held but later backed out. Also, wrestler Bajrang Punia and BKU leader Rakesh Tikait attended the mahapanchayat.
Tikait said the government should release the farmer leaders who were arrested for blocking the national highway and ensure procurement at MSP, or else demonstrations would be held across the country.
On June 6, farmers had blocked NH-44 near Shahbad, demanding that the government procure sunflowers on minimum support price.