Intensifying their protest against the Centre's new agri laws, farmers took over some toll plazas in Haryana on Saturday

Intensifying their protest against the Centre's new agri laws, farmers took over some toll plazas in Haryana on Saturday, not allowing authorities to collect fees from commuters.

The agitating farmers had earlier said they would picket toll plazas to press their demand for a repeal of the three new laws, which were voted through in Parliament in September amid strong protests by opposition parties.

Farmers' protestMore than 100 farmers led by Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leaders Malkit Singh and Manish Chaudhry gathered at a toll plaza on the Ambala-Hisar highway, around 15 kilometers from Ambala city.

The BKU activists raised slogans demanding the withdrawal of the farm laws. The toll plaza employees allowed vehicles to pass through without paying any charge.

A large number of police personnel were deployed at the toll plaza to maintain law and order.

Farmers also did not allow the collection of fees from commuters at Bastara and Peont toll plazas in Karnal. While the Bastara toll plaza is located on NH-44, the Peont toll plaza is located on the Karnal-Jind highway.

Farmers' protest

In Punjab, toll charges are not being collected from commuters as farmers have been staging sit-ins at toll plazas since October 1.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is suffering a loss of Rs 3 crore per day on account of farmers' protest at toll plazas in the state. There are 25 toll plazas on national highways in Punjab.

Farmers from different parts of the country, including Haryana and Punjab, have been camping at various border points of Delhi for two weeks to demand a repeal of these laws.