Thousands of motorists were allowed free passage on the Agra-Lucknow highway in Uttar Pradesh’s Fatehabad district on Monday after workers, angered by low Diwali bonus, staged a protest and removed all toll barriers.
The event caused significant disruption to toll services and traffic flow, necessitating the intervention of the police to restore order.
what is the dispute?
The dispute arose when 21 employees at the Fatehabad toll plaza, managed by Shri Sign & Datar, expressed dismay at receiving a Diwali bonus of only ₹1,100.
Read also | NHAI Cleanliness: Report Dirty Toilets, Get ₹1000 as FASTag Recharge
The company, which took over management of the toll traffic in March this year, has faced difficulties and disputes over the calculation and distribution of bonuses.
Demanding a higher bonus, workers stopped work and opened all toll lanes, allowing vehicles to pass without toll.
As thousands of vehicles crossed without paying, toll authorities scrambled to deploy replacement staff from other locations. However, the protesters blocked the entry of these employees, which worsened the situation and led to a prolonged shutdown.
A resolution has been reached
Police were quickly dispatched to the scene to maintain order and mediate negotiations between company officials and the agitating workers.
After negotiations, the company gave employees guarantees of better working conditions and immediately announced a 10 percent wage increase as a temporary measure. After receiving this assurance, employees returned to work and resumed normal operations after a two-hour shutdown.
Read also | Vehicle without FASTag? Payment made through UPI will be charged 1.25 times but…
Shri Sign & Datar stood by its decision on the limited Diwali bonus and argued that since they took over only in March, offering a year-round bonus was not feasible.
Fatal highway accident kills two
Meanwhile, on October 17, two Thai nationals were killed in a fatal road accident on the Agra-Lucknow highway in Unnao, police confirmed.
The tragedy took place in the Bangarmau area on the evening of October 16. The two men were traveling back to Delhi after a business engagement with a woman of Thai origin who lives in Shravasti in Uttar Pradesh, according to Santosh Kumar Singh, circle officer for Bangarmau.
The woman, identified as Prokob Wangsombun, traveled with the two men and is said to have lived at the temple in Shravasti for approximately fifteen years.
Explaining the circumstances of the collision, Singh said: “A couple of foreign nationals pulled their vehicle onto the paved shoulder and got out to take a short break on the side of the road. At that moment, an oncoming car suffered a catastrophic tire blowout and immediately collided with them.”
The officer added that the striking vehicle dragged the two men for several meters before it plunged into a ditch.
Anan (35) and Sakulsukh (40) sustained serious injuries in the incident. They were taken to a local health center where doctors pronounced them dead on arrival, police confirmed.
