Ludhiana: Punjab’s most expensive toll plaza, Ladowal, has been closed by farmers for the last month. Farmers had closed the toll plaza on June 16 and staged a protest. Today is July 16, which has been a full month.
At the same time, farmers have removed the protest from the toll plaza but have closed the cabins of the toll plaza by covering it. Farmers have hoisted their flags on the toll plaza. At present, the toll plaza is free for a month, and the toll agency has also suffered a loss of about Rs 30 crore so far.
On Tuesday, a month after the toll plaza was closed, farmer organizations held a meeting at the toll plaza. They demanded an investigation from CM Bhagwant Mann. Kisan Union leader Dilbag Singh said that he had filed a petition in the High Court recently. In which he had said that the toll agency people neither have any papers nor any kind of permission, which he could not show even in the High Court.
This toll has been running illegally for many years. CM Bhagwant Mann should also get it investigated.
Farmer leader Dilbagh Singh said that the High Court has again given the date of July 23. He has also told the High Court that all the criteria should be fulfilled before any toll is imposed. But there are no facilities of any kind here. There is neither a toilet for the common people nor drinking water.
Farmer leader Dilbagh Singh said that the rule is that if you have to stand in lines for more than 3 minutes at any toll, then you will not have to pay the toll. But the people of Ladowal toll plazas of hooliganism. People remain in lines for hours. Despite standing in the lines, people are being robbed.
NHAI told the High Court in the first hearing that their four tolls have been closed. While hearing the petition of NHAI, the court issued a notice to the Punjab government.
Due to the protest of the farmers, the work and collection of tolls in the toll plaza got disrupted, and the expected toll could not be collected. Due to the non-collection of tolls, the maintenance of the highway has been disrupted, and the petitioner company is facing an adverse financial impact. The High Court has been asked to ensure the collection of the toll fee, maintain law and order at Ladowal Toll Plaza, and provide full security to the employees of the petitioner company.