RAIPUR: The Chhattisgarh government is mulling to recover huge losses caused by damage to composite government buildings and public properties during the violence and arson carried out by crowd ostensibly belonging to the Satnami community in Baloda Bazar district, about 75 km from the state capital.
Meanwhile, the government has removed the collector and the district police chief of Baloda Bazar. A 2011-batch IAS officer Deepak Soni took charge as new collector and IPS officer Vijay Agrawal joined as the superintendent of police on Wednesday.
State home minister Vijay Sharma cited the erupted incident as the handiwork of anti-social elements who are suspected to be outsiders (not from Chhattisgarh) and carried out the violence with ‘nefarious pre-planned intent’.
“The state government is seriously contemplating to recover the huge losses caused to government properties from the perpetrators involved in large-scale arson. We have taken the incident very seriously and will initiate stern actions against those implicated in blatantly disturbing peace and harmony,” said Arun Sao, deputy chief minister.
The authorities have begun examining the extent of damage in the district collectorate premises and the office of superintendent of police. The BJP accused the Congress of having incited the violence with a premeditated conspiracy to defame the Vishnu Deo Sai government since the organisers had earlier repeatedly assured the district administration of a peaceful protest, not expecting a mob.
‘Defaming Sai govt’
The BJP accused the Congress of having incited the violence with a premeditated conspiracy to defame the Vishnu Deo Sai government since the organisers had repeatedly assured the administration of a peaceful protest