by Jai Sinha
#Faces Obstruction and Violence
Bokaro: The construction of a 20 MW solar plant, estimated costing of Rs 125 crores on 70 acres of land acquired by Dugda Coal Washery in Chandrapura block, has faced repeated obstructions from local displaced residents. The latest incident involved an attack on BCCL’s revenue officer, Jitendra Kumar, by members of the rural displaced Raiyat Morcha.
According to the eyewitness, Oriana Private Limited, which received the tender to install the solar power plant, reported that a meeting about the project was held on the evening of May 30 in the container office with Jitendra Kumar.
During the meeting, four to five members of the Rayat Visthaap Morcha, led by Baijnath Soren, stormed into the office, assaulted, and thrashed the Project Manager Sajan Sen and Jitendra Kumar.
The project’s employees, officers, and guards fled for safety. Jitendra Kumar sustained a critical head injury and was immediately taken to Sadar Hospital Bokaro, where a CT scan was ordered, and treatment began.
The construction has faced disruptions from the rural Rayat Morcha, causing concern among management and locals.
Oriana Private Limited’s management stated that they had negotiated a written agreement with the Visthaap Morcha, promising to meet the displaced people’s demands for village development and hire some local laborers.
Despite this, Baijnath Soren, the protest’s leader, demanded separate extortion money, which the company was unable to pay, leading to the violent confrontation.
Following the incident, BCCL and Oriana Private Limited employees have expressed serious concerns for their safety and requested protection from the authorities.
Dugda Coal Washery Project Officer SK Sharma submitted a formal application to the Dugda Police Station, which has registered a preliminary case against the accused individuals and begun further action.