Farmers stir at Noida-Delhi border enters eleventh day

NOIDA: The farmers demonstration against the new farm laws continued at the Noida-Delhi border for the eleventh day, even as a key road linking Uttar Pradesh and the national capital was partially closed for vehicular movement on Friday.

Farmers at the Chilla border are staging a sit-in on one carriageway of the Noida-Delhi Link Road which has been closed, while the other side (Delhi to Noida) remains open for movement, officials said.

Scores of protestors belonging to the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Bhanu) stayed put at the Chilla border, while those of BKU (Lok Shakti) continued to camp at the Dalit Prerna Sthal.

"One carriageway of the Noida-Delhi Link Road is open. People can come from Delhi to Noida, but the traffic movement on the other side continues to remain closed due to the stir," a Noida Traffic Police official said.

Commuters travelling to and fro Delhi can use the alternative Kalindi Kunj and the DND routes to avoid inconvenience, he added.

The protestors, belonging chiefly to the Bhanu and Lok Shakti factions of the Bharataiya Kisan Union (BKU), have gathered at the Noida border and want to proceed to Delhi to join the bigger stir called by farmers from Punjab and Haryana.

Thousands of farmers are currently staying put at Delhi's borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh in protest against the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

They have expressed apprehension that these laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price system, leaving them at the "mercy" of big corporations.

However, the government has maintained that the new laws will bring farmers better opportunities and usher in new technologies in agriculture.

There have been multiple rounds of talks between representatives of the protestors and the government but the logjam continues.