New Delhi: The Haryana government has told the Supreme Court through an affidavit that sincere efforts are being made to remove the blockades, due to farmers’ protest against three farm laws, from interstate roads and national highways and to resume the free flow of traffic.
It said that the general public continued to face great hardship due to the blockades of roads and it is persuading the farmers and farmers’ organisations to cooperate. “Sincere efforts are being made to remove the blockades from interstate roads and national highways and to resume the free flow of traffic on these roads for the convenience of the general public by way of persuading the farmers and farmers’ organisations to cooperate. Regular deliberations are being held by local administration from time to time to convince them to remove the blockades as the general public is facing great hardship due to such blockades,” the affidavit stated.
Affidavit of Haryana government was filed on a plea of a woman resident of Noida seeking direction to ensure that the road between Noida to Delhi is kept clear so that the passage is not affected.
The case was listed today for hearing but the matter could not be taken up and a bench headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul adjourned the hearing.
The Haryana government said that although the farmers did not meet the State Level Committee, constituted to resolve the issue of farmers’ protest on public spaces, the State government would continue to persuade protesting farmers to remove blockages on state and national highways.
Earlier, the Bench had asked Centre and State governments to find a solution to the blockade of roads due to the farmers’ ongoing protest against the three agriculture laws.
It had said that the protestors have a right to protest at a designated space but can’t block the outflow and inflow of traffic.
The Uttar Pradesh government had earlier filed an affidavit and said that it’s making all efforts to make farmers understand that their act of blocking roads is causing grave inconvenience to travellers.
The top court had made it clear that it is not concerned about the larger issues of farm laws which can be decided judicially, politically or administratively but limited to clearing of roads blocked by farmers.
Noida resident Monicca Agarwaal filed the plea in the apex court and alleged that her travel to Delhi is taking two hours instead of the normal 20 minutes.
She contended that despite the various directions passed by the apex court to keep the to and fro passage clear (the road), the same had still not happened.
Being a single parent who has some medical issues, Agarwaal said that it has become a nightmare to travel to Delhi. The plea said she stayed and worked in Noida, but since she had a marketing job she had to travel frequently to Delhi.
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