Hazaribagh/Ranchi, Aug. 29: At least two persons were killed and several others injured when police fired on displaced villagers demonstrating for jobs outside the gate of a thermal power plant in Gola block, 22km from Ramgarh district headquarters and 70km from capital Ranchi, this evening.
Prohibitory orders under Section 144 have been clamped near the Rs 350 crore, 63MW plant set up by Inland Power, a Calcutta-based company, in May 2014. The company has acquired 80 acres more for a second plant of the same capacity with a proposed investment of around Rs 100 crore.
Chief minister Raghubar Das has ordered a probe under the DIG and divisional commissioner of Hazaribagh. A report on the firing is to be submitted within a week.
Ramgarh deputy development commissioner and acting deputy commissioner Sunil Kumar confirmed two deaths, saying police were compelled to fire when the mob turned violent, fired and pelted stones at police and also damaged company property. Villagers claimed the toll was four. Three of the injured have been admitted to RIMS in Ranchi.
Sources said villagers agitating under the banner of Nagrik Chetna Manch since the beginning of August were invited for talks this evening. A delegation of 10 joined the talks table in the afternoon while hundreds of others assembled outside the gate.
After a while the mob, allegedly led by one Rajiv Jaiswal, got impatient and sought entry into the premises to be a part of the negotiation process for jobs in road repair in company areas. Stalled by guards, they reportedly turned belligerent. They damaged a water pipeline of the company and targeted a generator.
Eyewitnesses said police, unable to quell the snowballing protests, opened fire. One Dasrath Nayak (50) was the first to take a bullet. He died on the spot. The second victim has been identified as Premchand Mahto. Local residents said one Fatu Mahto and a fourth unidentified person also fell to bullets, but the administration has not confirmed these deaths.
The firing prompted the mob to set the vehicle of circle officer Shubhra Rani on fire and block the Ramgarh-Gola road. Police once again had to use force on villagers to free Rani.
Deputy commissioner Kumar said Gola BDO Dinesh Kumar sustained injuries in stone-pelting.
"We have learnt that Jaiswal provoked villagers and was involved in the firing too," Kumar added.
Jaiswal, however, claimed that their protest was peaceful. "We disconnected piped supply as the company was taking water from Snehagarha rivulet instead of Bhairavi river," he said.
Inland Power deputy general manager (administration) Sanjay Singh admitted that a meeting was scheduled between villagers and company officials at Gola block office and not at the plant site. "We have given jobs to as many as 284 land losers, but they wanted talks on other issues. We got news of the firing near the plant site. We are verifying details," he said.
