In a significant move highlighting rural distress, Bharatiya Kisan Union (Charuni) national president Gurnam Singh Charuni has directly appealed to the highest levels of the Indian government. He has submitted a detailed petition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, urging their immediate intervention to resolve severe hardships caused by ongoing highway construction.
Core Grievances: Severed Farms and Missing Service Roads
The petition raises serious concerns about the impact of highway projects, particularly those under the ambitious Bharatmala Project, on agricultural life and rural connectivity. A primary issue cited is the division of large stretches of farmland. Farmers are left with portions of their land completely inaccessible as the new highways cut through their fields without providing proper crossing points.
Charuni's union has strongly demanded the mandatory construction of service roads alongside these highways. The current absence of such infrastructure makes daily movement for villagers and farmers extremely difficult, isolating communities and disrupting local economies.
Infrastructure Deficiencies: Drainage and Faulty Bridges
Another major point of contention is the inadequate drainage system. The petition contrasts older highway designs, which featured large bridges every three to four kilometres, with the new constructions that rely on small culverts. These culverts fail to handle monsoon rainwater effectively, leading to widespread waterlogging and damage to adjacent agricultural land. The BKU has demanded the construction of adequate large bridges to ensure proper water flow.
The design of bridges on existing farm access roads has also been criticized. According to the union, these bridges are too narrow and lack sufficient height, preventing the passage of essential agricultural machinery like combine harvesters and sugarcane trolleys. The BKU seeks a standard minimum bridge width of 20 feet and a clear height of 18 feet, measured correctly from the road level to prevent water accumulation underneath.
Land and Compensation Demands
Addressing ancillary issues, the union termed it "unjust" to merge drainage channels with road passages and called for separate arrangements exclusively for water discharge. On land matters, the petition urges the government to acquire small, isolated parcels of land—ranging from 200 to 400 square yards—left useless on either side of the highways.
It also seeks an exemption from registry fees for farmers who mutually exchange land to regain access to their divided fields, demanding speedy execution of such transfers. Furthermore, the BKU highlighted the recurring problem of crop damage from highway runoff, for which no compensation is provided, and demanded an effective, dedicated drainage system to prevent future losses.
In his urgent appeal, Gurnam Singh Charuni has called on the PM and the Union Minister to issue priority directions to address these grievances. The petition underscores a growing wave of discontent in rural areas over infrastructure projects that overlook local needs, advocating for a more farmer-friendly approach in the planning and execution of national highways.
