Tappal farmers threaten to block Yamuna Expressway

For last three days the farmers have been protesting at Zikarpur village in Tappal, sources said.

Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, spearheading the protest, today handed over a fifteen-point charter of demands to the district authorities.

Their demands include allotment of land for a memorial for the three farmers who were killed in alleged police firing during land acquisition stir two years ago.

"One of our major demand is speedy construction of service roads adjoining the expressway," said Chander Pal, convener of the Kisan Sangharsh committee.

Service roads were of vital importance to the poor farmers who cannot access the expressway, he said.

Negotiations with the agitating farmers to prevent any untoward incident were on, official sources said.

On August 10, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had inaugurated the 165-km Yamuna Expressway.

A day before Yadav had promised that "no land acquisition would be done without the consent of farmers and cases lodged against them during the previous government would be withdrawn."