Farmers slam fines for overloading tractors

BAHAWALPUR: Scores of sugarcane farmers gathered at Khanpur Nauranga Road on Sunday to protest against the National Highway and Motorway police and district traffic police for fining them for overloading tractor trolleys with sugarcane.

The farmers blocked Khanpur Nauranga Road for traffic and chanted slogans against the police. They said that the police had been extorting ‘illegal’ fines from them.

Hafiz Muhammad Jameel, one of the protesters, said sugar mills in the province had recently announced that they would end crushing season in the middle of March. “That’s why we have been supplying all the sugarcane we have to the factories,” he said.

“The police have used this increase in transport of sugarcane as an excuse to extort money from us.”

Haji Rasheed, another protester, said tractor trolleys leaving the city had to first pay fine to traffic police for ‘overloading’ the vehicles with sugarcane.

He said this was just an excuse to ask for a bribe. “When we reach the highway, the National Highway and Motorway police stop us and fine us all over again for overloading.”

Ishaq Malik, a protester, said this was hurting them financially.

“We request Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to take action against this extortion and provide us some relief,” Malik said.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 7^th, 2016.