CHANDIGARH: Farmer leader Gurnam Singh Charuni, the national president of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU)-Charuni in Haryana, said on Thursday that farmers will take control of all toll plazas in the state from 12 noon to 3 p.m. on Friday to protest the police action against the agitating farmers who have gathered along Punjab borders.
The decision in this regard was taken at a meeting of the Haryana-based farmer organisation at Charuni village in Kurukshetra.
The administration, as a preventive step, has suspended mobile internet services, bulk SMS and all dongle services provided on mobile networks, except the voice calls, in the jurisdiction of Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad and Sirsa districts of Haryana.
Meanwhile, the farmers' protest in Punjab intensified on Thursday with planned 'rail roko' from 12 noon to 4 p.m. Also toll plazas were made free from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. However, there was no report of any untoward incident.
Farmers from Punjab are camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders of Punjab and Haryana seeking to march towards Delhi to press the Centre to accept their demands.
In view of the protest call, the Haryana Police advised the commuters to opt for trains as a precautionary measure, rather than travelling by road to commute between Chandigarh and Delhi. Also it advised to travel only if absolutely necessary.
Haryana has also imposed Section 144 in 15 districts and has banned any demonstrations or tractor marches.
Similarly, Chandigarh has also imposed Section 144 ahead of the farmers' march.
From Chandigarh to Delhi, the advisable land route is via Panchkula, Barwala, Dosarka, Barara, Babain, Ladwa and Pipli-Kurukshetra. The other land route to reach the national capital is via Panchkula, Barwala, Yamunanagar (NH-344), Ladwa, Indri and Karnal.
Motorists from Delhi to Chandigarh can reach their destination either via Karnal, Indri, Ladwa, Yamunanagar (NH-344), Barwala and Panchkula, or via Karnal, Pipli, Ladwa, Babain, Barara, Dosarka, Barwala and Panchkula.
Commuters from Hisar and Sirsa can reach Panchkula via Kaithal (152-D), Pehowa via Kurukshetra, Babain, Barara, Dosarka, and Barwala.
Likewise, commuters coming from Rewari, Narnaul and Jind can reach Panchkula from Kaithal via Pehowa, Kurukshetra, Ladwa, Babain, Barara, and Dosarka. In case of any difficulty, they can dial 112 for assistance.