ROURKELA: A clash erupted at Bhasma over control of ash discharged from Darlipali power plant of NTPC on Thursday.
It all started when a gang led by one Suraj Patel from Tileimal in adjacent Jharsuguda district and Darlipali ransacked the office of ash loading contractor Sanjay Pande. Pande and another person were injured in the assault. One round was fired in the air by the gang members to terrorise Pande.
Sundargarh SDPO Himanshu Behera said NTPC has given the contract to Pande to load ash from its ash pond in vehicles for disposal. As the contract tenure will end soon, Pande’s associate Jayant Majhi has bagged the contract for the job. However, for the last few days a rival gang led by Patel has been demanding the contract and preventing Pande’s team from loading ash into vehicles. The gang’s members also had a scuffle with Majhi’s group.
He said Patel along with 15-20 others assaulted Pande and ransacked his office. A case has been registered and efforts are underway to nab the accused. An empty bullet case was recovered from the spot. The SDPO said NTPC authorities have been asked to sort out the issue and asserted police would deal with any law and order situation sternly.
On July 4, a clash had erupted between two rival gangs over ownership of Bhatia Energy & Minerals (Sundargarh) Pvt Ltd (BEMSPL), a coal washery unit, at Garjanbahal within Hemgir police limits. Goons owing allegiance to Chhattisgarh businessman Bharat Agarwal attacked men of another businessman from the neighbouring state Ravi Gupta with sticks, iron rods and other weapons to take possession of the coal washery unit. At least eight persons from both sides were injured and properties including four vehicles and office premises damaged. Hemgir police said 17 people from Raigarh in Chhattisgarh and five from Sundargarh were arrested for the violence.