FARMERS WENT ON RAMPAGE AGAINST POLICE LATHI CHARGE ON SLEEPING FARMERS AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS

Buxar, 11 January 2023, (RNI): Hundreds of people of Buxar district went on rampage and set ablaze dozens of police vans today in protest against police atrocities on sleeping farmers at about midnight on January 10, 2023 at Banarpur village of Chausa block in Buxar district.

A thermal plant of SJVN is being installed at Bnarpur village under Buxar Muffassil police station of Chausa block in Buxar district and hundreds of farmers and the villagers were protesting it and they were demanding reasonable compensation for the land the government was acquiring for the thermal power plant and so they were on war front and were sitting on dharana for the last 85 days. When the government did not heed to their demands, they became more agitated and locked the main gate of the thermal power and sat on dharana at the main gate on January 10, 2023. The police, at about midnight, entered the houses of some farmers who were protesting installation of thermal plant and demanding reasonable compensation of their lands and beat them right and left and injured a number of them and also misbehaved the woman folk and the children while sleeping. In the morning, when the people and other farmers knew about the incident, they became agitated and attacked the power plant. They damaged several police vans and set them ablaze besides the gate of the power plant. The police fired in the air to disperse the agitating mob but in vain. The farmers and the villagers continued their aggressive agitation. The entire area was cordoned off and was turned into police camp. Senior officials of the district rushed to the spot and are trying to bring the situation under control till the filling of the news. The villagers said that the law enforcing agency has become law breaking agency and no one is save under such situation. They further said that they would continue their agitation till stern action was not taken against the guilty police personnel.

It was said that the land of the farmers were acquired in the year 2010-2011 for the purpose and the farmers were given compensation at the rate fixed during that fiscal. When the company started acquiring the land, the villagers and the farmers protested and demanded compensation at the present rate.