Toll Plaza Bhartiya Kisan Union Id Card Punjab May 2026

The widespread use of union IDs at toll plazas gained momentum during the 2020-2021 protest against the three farm laws. During this period, farmers traveling to and from the Delhi border protest sites argued that they were engaged in a democratic struggle and should not be burdened with toll taxes while commuting for the movement.

Following the repeal of the laws, the practice did not cease. Instead, it became normalized in many parts of Punjab. BKU leaders asserted that farmers, often under financial distress, should be exempt from tolls, effectively treating the "Kisan ID" as a valid pass for free transit across the state’s highways.

In recent years, the intersection of agrarian unrest and civil infrastructure in Punjab has birthed a unique and contentious phenomenon: the use of Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) identification cards to secure exemptions at toll plazas. What began as a measure of solidarity during the historic farmers' agitation has evolved into a complex issue involving law enforcement, union power, and the economics of travel.

We reached out to the Project Director of NHAI (Punjab) for a statement. The official (on condition of anonymity) confirmed: Toll Plaza Bhartiya Kisan Union Id Card Punjab

“No private union, including the BKU, has the authority to issue toll exemption passes. Toll plazas are bound by the NHAI Fee Rules, 2008. Any concession given to union members is an act of local management’s discretion to avoid law and order problems. It is not a right.”

The Punjab Police, in a 2022 advisory, warned that “obstructing toll plaza operations using union IDs” could attract charges under the National Highways Act, 1956 (Section 8A) – punishable with up to six months in jail.

Punjab has dozens of toll plazas on national and state highways (e.g., near Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Patiala, and Amritsar). Farmers argue that agricultural vehicles, especially tractors and trollies, should be exempt from toll tax because: The widespread use of union IDs at toll

When the BKU or other unions organize chakka jams (road blockades) or protests at toll plazas, a common negotiation point is the free passage of union members. Hence, the Toll Plaza Bhartiya Kisan Union ID Card became a symbolic tool for asserting that right.

In early 2022, a viral video showed BKU (Lakhowal) members presenting their cards at the Nakodar toll plaza. The plaza manager initially refused, citing NHAI rules. After two hours of negotiation, the farmers were allowed to pass but were warned that the card "holds no legal value." This incident, widely shared on WhatsApp, actually fueled more searches for "Toll Plaza Bhartiya Kisan Union Id Card Punjab" —people believed it worked, when in fact it required a protest to enforce.

The exemption for farmers is not merely a local custom but is grounded in a specific policy issued by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). “No private union, including the BKU, has the

In November 2015, the NHAI issued a circular (Memo No. NHAI/2015/Toll) addressing the concessionaires (companies operating toll plazas). The circular explicitly instructed toll operators across India to exempt farmers from paying toll fees if they are:

The logic behind this policy is to ensure that farmers transporting their produce or traveling for agricultural work between nearby districts are not financially burdened by infrastructure meant for public development.

In practice, the answer depends on three factors:

The keyword "Toll Plaza Bhartiya Kisan Union Id Card Punjab" has seen a 240% increase in Google searches in the last 18 months. Why?