CHANDIGARH: For the past nine months, farmers protesting against the central agriculture laws have blocked the entry points into the national capital, causing massive inconvenience to commuters. Delhi-Amritsar highway has been closed. Also sealed are the Tikri border at Bahadurgarh and the highway linking Rewari with Delhi.
The Haryana government has now announced the setting up of a panel to urge the protesting farmers to allow passage to commuters at Delhi borders. Nearly 1.28 lakh vehicles are forced to travel 141 km extra every day to enter Delhi as they have to use linked roads. The vehicles entering from Kundli side have to travel an extra 25 km, vehicles coming from Bahadurgarh side have to drive an additional 100 km and vehicles from Rewari side have to put in an extra 16 km.
In order to convince the farmers to allow commuters an easy passage to Delhi, the panel set up by the Haryana government on Wednesday will try to talk them into clearing the NH-44 on Kundli-Singhu border near Sonipat to comply with the SC orders. This committee is headed by Rajeev Arora, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) and also comprises Director General of Police PK Agrawal, Additional DG (Law and Order) Navdeep Singh Virk and Secretary, Home-I Department, Balkar Singh.
“The committee will hold discussions with the farmer organisations to resolve the issue of blockade of inter-state roads and national highways to avoid any inconvenience to the general public,” said an official close to the development. “The divisional commissioners, commissioners of police, district magistrates and superintendents of police concerned will also be associated with the committee for the said purpose.”
Long, tiresome detours
Nearly 1.28 lakh vehicles are forced to travel 141 km extra every day to enter Delhi as they have to use linked roads. vehicles coming from Bahadurgarh side have to drive an additional 100 km. vehicles entering from Kundli side have to travel an extra 25 km