An Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator from Patiala has voiced his support for the ongoing protests at the Ladhowal toll plaza situated along the Patiala-Rajpura highway. Health Minister Dr. Balbir Singh stated the situation could have been avoided through timely dialogue between authorities and demonstrators.
Farmers, laborers, and residents have been agitating for over a week against hiked toll rates. While asserting their grievances have gone unaddressed, the groups blocked operations at Ladhowal as well as the Shambhu border post for over four months. Dr. Balbir noted no attempts were made by Central Government representatives to engage protestors after initial talks broke down in mid-February.
The minister alleged indifference towards resolving peoples' issues. He said the new administration in Delhi has still not sat down with agitating farmers to find an amicable solution. Toll collection has reportedly caused a daily loss of over INR 1.5 crore to the National Highways Authority of India due to blockades.
Dr. Balbir opined rationalizing toll fees could defuse tensions. He recalled removing such levies formed part of hissuccessful election campaign for the recent Lok Sabha polls. Officials maintain the continuing demonstrations have severely impacted toll operations and revenue generation.
Protest leaders have given NHAI one last chance to hold a discussion and suitably revise charges, or face complete disruption of business at the toll plaza location indefinitely. The future course of the agitation now depends on any response from transportation authorities to find a settlement.
