Angul, Sept. 4: Irate residents protesting a public hearing for Machhakata open cast coal project today ransacked a tent and barricade at Chhedipada forcing the district authorities to cancel the event.

The mob also made sub-collector P.K. Dash and additional district magistrate Susant Barik, who had gone there to conduct the meeting, to sit on the road for two hours.

In the clash, nearly 21 people, including 11 policemen were injured with the police resorting to lathicharge to bring the situation under control.

Mahaguj Colliery Limited, a coal company, is opening a 30 million tonne annual capacity coal project named Machhakata at Chhendipada area.

Today was fixed for the public hearings, which is mandatory for a project to get environmental clearance.

However, local people are opposing the project. In 2011, they had not allowed the public meeting to be conducted and at that time there were clashes between the administration and the local people, too.

Despite heavy police deployment, hundreds of local residents, including women, stormed into the venue at Chhendipada at about 8am despite heavy rain.

They damaged tents and barricades and later gheraoed two senior officials. They made them sit for two hours demanding cancellation of the event. The police resorted to lathicharge to disperse the crowd after the mob resorted to stone pelting.

“The mob started throwing stones at policemen and the tehsil office. The police had to use force to disperse the unruly mob. Ten policemen were hurt, two of them suffered head injuries. So far, no case has been registered,” said police superintendent Narasingh Bhol.

Following the incident, the additional district magistrate had announced the cancellation of the public hearing.

“We did not want use force against people. We believe in peaceful industrialisation and initiated talks with the people there. The cancellation was unfortunate event,” said collector Sachin Ramachanadra Jadav.

However, company chief executive officer, Rajesh Jha, was optimistic about the future of the coal project saying that he would try to win the confidence of the people for the project.