Muzaffarpur, Oct. 9: Eight members of Kanti Vikas Sangharsh Morcha, protesting against dismal power situation, refused to call off their fast-unto-death even as their agitation spread to the Khudiram Bose Central Jail.
Chairman of the organisation Ajay Shankar Sharma and his aides Ganesh Paswan, Pinaki Jha, Deepak Kumar Singh, Nawal Kumar Sah, Ramesh Kumar Thakur, Ajay Prasad Giri and Sanjay Kumar Yadav started an agitation last Sunday to demand round-the-clock power supply to the adjoining villages of Kanti Thermal Power Station (KTPS). Forwarded to the central jail last evening, the protesters have turned down the jail administration’s request to take food, said the superintendent of Khudiram Bose Central Jail, Vishwanath Prasad.
According to the jail sources, Sharma has, in writing, informed the jail administration about their decision to observe fast against their arrest. The superintendent said he has informed inspector-ge-neral (prison), Anand Kisho-re, of the protesters’ decision.
A team of doctors at the central jail examined the eight inmates this morning. Former Union minister and Vaishali MP Raghuvansh Prasad Singh also visited the jail to meet the protesters.
Meanwhile, the district police have forwarded a proposal to the Muzaffarpur district magistrate, Santosh Kumar Mall, to impose collective fine on villagers who damaged government properties worth around Rs 15 lakh during protest against the absence of power supply in villages like Sherna, Kusi, Kanti and Sherukahi. Senior superintendent of police (SSP), Muzaffarpur, Rajesh Kumar told The Telegraph that the police would soon forward a proposal to the district magistrate in this connection under the Bihar Collective Fine (Imposition) Act.
The Kanti block development officer, Ramji Prasad, has also instituted a named FIR against 80 protesters and 500 unidentified persons, who went berserk during their protest on Friday at Kanti Chowk, under various sections of IPC.
The SSP said the disturbance has been recorded on video and the guilty persons would be identified. If they fail to cough up the collective fine, their houses and properties would be attached. Since Friday, 80 criminals have been arrested for pelting stones and damaging government vehicles. He added that Section 144 of the CrPC, which was imposed in the area, would continue for a few more days.
Additional forces have also been deployed in the periphery of KTPS, including the sub-divisional officer (west), Kundan Kumar, DSP (west) Anuj Kumar and 10 executive magistrates. Mall also met the villagers today to defuse the tension in the area.
Three special patrolling team led by senior police officers are also on alert in the trouble-torn villages to prevent further disturbance. Police said the activists of Kanti Vikas Sangharsh Morcha were also engaged in a fight with KTPS employees on October 3 while demanding uninterrupted power supply in the adjoining villages.
A detailed report of the ruckus has been sent to the state government.
