Armed villagers attack Chhabra power plant

JAIPUR: In yet another case of farmer fury against land acquisitions, over 500 people from seven villages adjoining Chhabra tehsil in Baran district attacked the under-construction units of Chhabra Thermal Power Plant on Sunday night. Eleven people, including a few security guards and policemen, sustained injuries during stone-pelting and firing between villagers and security guards.

According to sources, Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam is developing two units of 1320 MW coal-based power plant at Chowki Motipura village in Chhabra tehsil of Baran on a 2,600 bigha of land with Punj Lloyd as one of the contractors and Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) as the project supplier.

The villagers, meanwhile, have refused to hand over land for the new units without adequate compensation. On Monday at 1 am, hundreds of villagers, many of them carrying country-made pistols, gathered at the under-construction units of the power plant.

While the security guards on duty tried to stop the villagers, they damaged the boundary wall and entered the premises. The guards fired several rounds in the air but the villagers fired back and barged into the office, damaging property and thrashing security men.

According to police, they had registered a case against 500 people, while 35 have been arrested. Chhabra MLA Karan Singh Rathore told TOI that the villagers were not given proper compensation by the previous government and hence they were irked. He alleged that a few BJP workers misguided the farmers of Hanumat Kheda, Sewan Kheda, Bisan Khedi and Bhojpur claiming irregularities in land acquisition and provoked them for violence. “I will meet the villagers and tell them that no injustice would be done to them during the Congress rule,” said the Congress MLA.

SP, Baran, Om Prakash, who is camping in Chhabra after the incident, said the farmers from seven adjoining villagers damaged the main gate, furniture, records and computer systems. When the police tried to control them, they attacked the police and pelted stones after which a lathicharge was ordered. “We have already arrested 35 people,” he said. Meanwhile, IG, Kota range, S P Khadgawat and other senior police officers arrived on the spot and held talks with village representatives.