Responding to a call by BKU (Chaduni) chief Gurnam Singh Chaduni, farmers gathered at several toll plazas in Karnal and Ambala on Saturday and made passage of vehicles free to press for various demands. One of the demands raised by the farmers is for a bonus of Rs 500 on the purchase of per quintal of wheat crop. They have also been seeking toll-free passage for vehicles of those living within a 15-km radius of the plazas, besides the recruitment of local people to run toll booths in the state. In a video message on Friday evening, Chaduni appealed to the farmers to gather at toll points and make the passage of vehicles free for three hours from 10 am to 1 pm. ''We are demanding from the government to give us a bonus on wheat purchase,'' said a protester at the Bastara toll plaza in Karnal. According to the protesters, they are demanding the bonus as wheat yield is set to be low in the current Rabi marketing season. Similar protests by farmers were seen in toll plazas of Ambala. A heavy police force was deployed at the toll collection centres to prevent any untoward incident. Protesting farmers staged 'dharnas' at the toll plazas to press for their demands. They also threatened to intensify their agitation if the demands were not met. During the farmers' agitation against the now-repealed farm laws, toll collection at most points had remained suspended for nearly a year in Haryana as the protesters had camped at the toll booths.
