National Highways across Punjab went toll-free on Tuesday as agitating farmers blocked fee collection booths to protest against the state’s land policies.
Demonstrators gathered in large numbers at several key transit points, including the busy Ladowal toll plaza near Ludhiana, raising slogans against the administration and letting hundreds of vehicles pass without paying any tax.
The protests are centered around the government’s controversial land pooling policy. Farmers are also demanding quick action over alleged mortgage scams tied to local land mortgage banks. At the same time, local unions are raising red flags over the proposed India-US Free Trade Agreement, arguing it could spell disaster for local growers.
The protest call came from the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political). Jagjit Singh Dallewal, the national coordinator of the front and leader of the BKU (Ekta Sidhupur), had warned earlier that all toll collection points would be thrown open to the public on July 14.
Targeting the state’s policies, Dallewal accused authorities of paving the way for corporate takeover of farm lands.
“The land pooling policy is a quiet move to snatch fertile fields from local farmers and hand them over to big corporate houses. This is something we will fight with everything we have,” Dallewal said.
The sudden protest brought immediate relief to thousands of commuters, who found themselves driving through the usually congested and expensive Ladowal plaza without spending a penny.
Union leaders at the protest sites said their action is completely peaceful, but maintained they would not let operators charge any toll tax until 4 PM. They called the move a necessary step to protect their land and livelihood.