Haryana agriculture minister chairs meeting to resolve Potli village underpass issue on Shamli–Ambala national highway

YAMUNANAGAR : Haryana’s Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Fisheries and Animal Husbandry Minister, Shyam Singh Rana, on Friday chaired a meeting at the Yamunanagar Deputy Commissioner’s office to address the long-pending issue of an underpass route on the Shamli–Ambala National Highway near Potli village in the Radaur Assembly constituency. The meeting was attended by officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), local villagers, and farmer union leaders to find a permanent solution to the problem faced by farmers.During the meeting, the Agriculture Minister emphasized that farmers are the backbone of the nation and resolving their problems remains the government’s top priority. He stated that the BJP-led government has always placed farmers’ issues at the forefront, with a special focus on ensuring pucca (permanent) access roads to agricultural fields so that farmers can transport their produce without difficulty.Rana clarified that the disputed route in Potli village is recorded in the revenue records and therefore cannot be closed under any circumstances. He added that the state government has already spent crores of rupees in the Radaur Assembly constituency to pave farm access roads, noting that this initiative was first launched from Radaur itself.Highlighting the pro-farmer measures taken by the BJP government, the minister said that earlier many farmers had been forced to abandon agriculture, but successive welfare initiatives—such as procurement of crops at Minimum Support Price (MSP)—have strengthened the farming community. He stressed that since a government is formed by the people, it is its duty to address public grievances.The minister warned NHAI officials that failure to resolve the Potli village access route issue would continue to cause serious hardship for farmers in the future. He termed the farmers’ demand as legitimate, as the route has existed for a long time. Rana directed NHAI officials to urgently consult their senior authorities and the Government of India to arrive at a permanent solution, adding that the matter is also in the knowledge of the Chief Minister, making its early resolution essential.DC Preeti instructed NHAI officials to immediately contact their regional head, clearly identify the competent authority responsible for resolving the issue, and initiate dialogue at the appropriate level. She emphasized that without clarity on jurisdiction and responsibility, the problem cannot be effectively resolved.The meeting was attended by Yamunanagar SP Kamaldeep Goyal, ADC Naveen Ahuja, SDM Radaur Narendra Kumar, DIPRO Manoj Kumar, senior NHAI officials Vishal Kesarwani and Vikram Singh, District President of the Farmers’ Union Subhash Gurjar, Block President Arvind Kamboj, farmer leaders Mahender and Dharamvir Kamboj, along with other office-bearers, members, and villagers from Potli.