Dhanbad, July 11 (IANS) Tension gripped Dhanbad’s Asanbani village on Friday after police resorted to a lathi charge to disperse protesting villagers opposing the commencement of the Tasra opencast coal project work by the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL).

At least 10 villagers, including several women, were injured in the clash. The condition of one woman is reported to be critical.

The situation turned volatile when a team from SAIL arrived at the site with five to six JCB machines for demarcation and leveling work on the acquired land.

Hundreds of men and women from Asanbani, Kalipur, and Sarisakundi villages of Baliapur block gathered to oppose the move, vowing to resist any attempt to start the project.

“We will give our lives, but not our land,” shouted the protesters, accusing SAIL of forcibly taking away their farmland, on which they depend for their livelihood.

As the villagers attempted to block the machines, a scuffle broke out between them and the police. The situation escalated quickly, and the police used lathis to disperse the crowd, resulting in a stampede-like situation and injuries to several villagers. The injured have been admitted to local hospitals for treatment.

The administration defended the police action, stating that only mild force was used to remove people who were unlawfully obstructing work on legally acquired land.

According to official sources, around 42 acres of land from the three villages had been acquired for the expansion of the coal project. The SAIL management claimed that over 85 per cent of the affected landowners had accepted compensation and that a fully equipped township had been developed for their rehabilitation.

SAIL officials said that only a handful of people are opposing the project work. The company also alleged that a few days earlier, drivers working on the project were assaulted when they tried to enter the area.

However, the standoff has created a tense atmosphere in the area.

–IANS

snc/skp