Delhi govt orders shifting of unused tents from Burari to Singhu border

New Delhi: The Delhi government on Friday directed the district administration to shift unused tents from the Burari ground to Singhu border, where a large group

New Delhi: The Delhi government on Friday directed the district administration to shift unused tents from the Burari ground to Singhu border, where a large group of farmers and their families from Punjab, Haryana and other states are protesting against three contentious farm laws passed by Parliament in September.

The directions were issued after health minister Satyendar Jain visited the Singhu Border protest site on Friday afternoon to look into arrangements. “We want to ensure that at least the elderly people, women and children get the tents. We have to protect them in the winter and from Covid-19 too,” Jain said.

HT had on Friday published a report flagging the lack of arrangements by the government at the Singhu border and underutilised amenities at Burari.

By Friday afternoon, even as representatives of farmer groups engaged with the central government, the size of the crowd in Sindhu and several other city borders swelled with several protesting groups leaving the Burari ground – designated as a protest site by the central government last week.

At the Singhu border, a large group of protesters are living in makeshift tents set up on roads and truck and tractor carriages, with numerous makeshift kitchens set up in the vicinity. Help from several student groups, charitable bodies and non-government organisations have been poured in over the past one week – providing arrangements ranging from toilets to medical centres.

“The farmers are being deliberately harassed by the people in power… A bill which is meant for the farmers should be made after taking their consensus. Politicising the matter will not help,” Jain said at the Singhu border.

Later, he requested revenue minister Kailash Gahlot to formally issue directions regarding the shifting of tents from one location to another.

The tents set up by the government at Burari are fireproof and water-resistant, a government official said. Officials, however, did not give a count of such available tents, saying if there is a shortage, it will be covered by Saturday.