Violence at JSPL plant site, top company'security officers arrested
The clash took place yesterday when the land oustees forced their way into the plant premises and tried to drive out labourers from outside the state.
Violence erupted at Jindal Steel and Power Limited's (JSPL) proposed steel plant site at Nisa, about 15 km from here, as land oustees clashed with the company's security guards which left 164 people injured, 14 of them seriously, police said today.The clash took place yesterday when the land oustees forced their way into the plant premises and tried to drive out labourers from outside the state.The JSPL securitymen attacked with sticks and iron rods beating up and injuring 160 villagers, including women.The irate villagers in return pelted stones and injured four policemen. They also set fire to the ambulance that was to ferry the injured securitymen to the hospital and the police rescued them and sent them to Nalco Nagar hospital for treatment.Later, JSPL's overall security officer K K Chopra and company Angul unit security head Ajit Singh were arrested following the lodging of a complaint by a villager at the Nisa police station.Angul superintendent of police Satyabrata Bhoi on Thursday said a total 12 platoons of police have been deployed at the plant site as tension prevailed.Police said the 14 seriously injured villagers have been shifted to SCB Medical College Hospital at Cuttack while the others were admitted at the district headquarters hospital here, the police said. Inhabitants of JSPL proposed plant site villages Sana Kerajanga, Bada Kerajanga, Kaliakata, Ramadhia, Jamuda, Jamuda Jungle and Jarada had been agitating since Tuesday demanding more compensation for their acquired land, regular employment, free medical treatment at the JSPL hospital and free electricity to their villages.The people also alleged that the company had been employing workers from outside the state while land oustees and local people were being ignored.Executive director of JSPL's Angul unit Rajesh Jha had appealed to the people to come forward for discussion to end the agitation.The arrest of JSPL vice-chairman Naveen Jindal has been demanded by local Congress MP Amarnath Pradhan.