GREATER NOIDA: Scores of Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) members protested against collection of toll tax from a BKU member at the toll plaza in Bajna village of Mathura forcing the Jewar toll to remain free for the commuters for over an hour.The protesters forced officials of the Jewar and the Bajna toll plazas to get down from the counters and stand on the roadside making commuters have a free run for around one and a half hours.Commuters crossed two toll plazas without paying toll from around 11:30 am to 1 pm till a team of police along with SDM Jewar Rajpal Singh arrived at the spot and pacified the members.Sanjay Kasana, a BKU member told TOI that a member of the organisation was charged toll tax at the Bajna toll plaza and informed the BKU leaders about the same.“Om Prakash Chaudhary, general secretary of the Meerut mandal of the BKU had called the toll officials at Jewar toll informing them that Jaiveer Nagar was a BKU member and he should not be stopped at the toll. He was allowed to exit the toll without paying the tax but was stopped at the Bajna toll plaza,” Kasana said adding that a message was sent to the Bajna toll officials to allow him free exit.However, when toll officials did not comply with their demand, Nagar informed the BKU members who gathered at the Jewar toll plaza to protest against the same.They later left the spot when SDM Jewar and police arrived and moved to the Bajna toll plaza. The SDM told TOI that the BKU protest lasted for some time at the Jewar toll plaza warning that any such action in future will attract a police case against protestors.The toll officials seemed helpless before the BKU members who threatened violent action in case such an incident is repeated.The demand for making Jewar-Agra toll free for the farmers whose land has been acquired for the project has been pending since 2012 but nothing has been finalised by the authorities so far.BKU members have been exiting the toll plazas for free as part of a mutual understanding till a conclusion is arrived at. “The demand pertains to those whose land has been occupied. We do not know whether the person in question falls under this category. This type of hooliganism will not be tolerated in future,” the SDM said.

Stay updated with all the Noida Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.