Before the blockade was called off, Raju Shetti addressed farmers at Kini toll booth along Pune-Bengaluru national highway
Around 160 Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) buses operating between Pune, Mumbai, Kolhapur and Sangli remained off the roads, while services to neighbouring districts were diverted. More than 600 trucks were estimated to be stranded along the closed Satara-Kolhapur stretch. A truck driver stranded near Wathar for over 72 hours said, “Sensing our inconvenience, a local tea stall vendor started charging more for a cup of tea.
Elderly Kolhapur resident Rajaram Bavadekar said his grandsons were unable to travel home after operators cancelled services. We have suggested them to wait for the protest to end,” he said. Anant Hukeri, an IT engineer travelling from Pune to Hubballi, said, “The diversion route is lengthy.
“My son is working in Delhi. His sons are studying in Mumbai and Pune colleges. The travel operator, however, cancelled the service citing the protest by sugar cane farmers. Other travel operators are demanding double fares. Traffic from both directions was diverted via Rahimatpur, Pusesavali, Vita, Sangli and Sangli Phata, causing long delays. There were police to guide, but there was huge congestion. We are relieved we have rejoined the national highway. Police permitted limited movement on portions of the highway but stopped vehicles from crossing the Kini toll plaza, the epicentre of the protest since Tuesday. We kept on requesting the police let us pass through the blockade; however, none heeded our request.”
They had booked tickets to join us in Kolhapur for Diwali on Tuesday.