Chandigarh : Life in violence-torn Haryana was limping back to normal on Monday with Jat protesters starting to lift blockades in various parts of the state after the BJP announced setting up of a committee under a Central Minister to examine the quota demand for the community.
After remaining on the edge for several days, normalcy was returning to some cities like Kaithal and officials expect the situation to improve considerably in other affected areas today.
Authorities had lifted curfew in Kaithal and its nearby town Kalayat yesterday.
However, in Rohtak, the epicentre of pro-quota Jat agitation, curfew remained in force, even as there was no report of any incident of violence and arson in the last 24 hours.
“There is no major incident in the last 24 hours in Rohtak and the last night was peaceful,” a senior Rohtak police official said. However, he said, though there are road blockades at few places in Rohtak, the situation is likely to improve during the day. “There are blockades in some places in the outer areas of Rohtak but the situation in the city was normal. Protesters have returned to their homes,” another senior official in Rohtak district administration said today.
“But at Maharishi Dayanand University (MDU), the protesters are still sitting and we hope they will also soon go back to their homes,” the official said. Rohtak and other areas had witnessed major damage to public and private property after the Jat protest turned violent. Following the incidents of violence and arson, curfew was imposed in Rohtak, Bhiwani, Jhajjar, Jind, Hissar, Hansi, Sonipat and Gohana town of Sonepat.
Blockades from some national and state highways, including Saharanpur-Ambala at Yamunanagar, Paonta Sahib-Yamunanagar, Ambala-Kaithal, Saharanpur-Pipli-Kurukshetra, Zirakpur-Parwanoo and Ladwa-Shahbad were lifted late last evening. Reports received from other areas said the road blockades were lifted on the Kalka-Shimla Highway and the Delhi-Panipat National Highway for restoration of traffic.
According to reports blockades were also lifted in Kurukshetra and Jhajjar areas.
Traffic was yet to be fully restored on various national and state highways, while train services will not be restored today as railways has announced cancellation of trains for today and tomorrow.
Meanwhile, normal supply of water to Delhi from Haryana, which had been disrupted due to the Jat stir, is likely to be restored today as security forces have taken control of the Munak canal after evicting Jat protesters.
Two columns of the Army, CRPF and Haryana Police personnel took over control of the canal at around 4 am, official sources said. All protesters who were squatting at the site were evicted, the sources said.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has called a Cabinet meeting in the afternoon to take stock of the situation in the wake of the stir. Yielding to pressure from agitating Jats, the BJP last night announced setting up of a five-member committee under a senior Central minister to examine the quota demand for the community in government jobs.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had said that a committee headed by Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu has been formed to look into the demand for reservation in central government jobs for Jats.