ROURKELA: Tension prevailed at Lanjiberna dolomite and limestone mines of Dalmia Cement Bharat Ltd (DCBL) in Rajgangpur for the second day on Thursday as agitating villagers forced their way into the mining premises, defying police presence.
The agitating villagers accompanied by Rajgangpur MLA CS Razzen Ekka staged first demonstration near the mines. At around 2.30 pm, the situation turned tense when a section of the protesters broke through police barricades. Despite efforts by police personnel to stop them, the villagers entered the mining premises and hoisted red flags. They later remained stationed outside the mines.
The agitators said the district administration should halt mining activities immediately. They alleged that around 36 acre of land were recently acquired illegally as part of the expansion of the Lanjiberna mines.
The MLA claimed villagers whose agricultural land was damaged due to use of heavy machinery by the company authorities, had gone to inspect their fields when tensions escalated. The affected villagers had cultivated crops on the disputed land, but company authorities damaged the fields for the second time on Wednesday, he alleged. DIG (Western Range) Brijesh Rai said the situation is under control and 12 platoons of police force have been deployed at the site as a precautionary measure.