Bombs hurled at rally against timber mafia, four injured

Four persons were critically injured when miscreants hurled bombs at a rally taken out by members of Upakula Jami Jungle Surakhya Samiti at Haladia Chhack under Sadar police limits here on Saturday.

Four persons were critically injured when miscreants hurled bombs at a rally taken out by members of Upakula Jami Jungle Surakhya Samiti at Haladia Chhack under Sadar police limits here on Saturday.

Following the incident, hundreds of activists under the banner of the Samiti blocked the Puri-Satpada-Chilika road demanding arrest of the miscreants and transfer of the inspector of Sadar police station.

Batakrushna Swain, convenor of the Samiti, said over 400 activists mostly women were taking out a rally protesting felling of trees on Government land when anti-socials hurled bombs at them in presence of police.

The injured were rushed to the district headquarters hospital while others squatted on the road bringing the traffic on the Puri-Satpara-Chilika road to a grinding halt.

Till the last reports came in, the road blockade was continuing. Though the higher officials of the district administration and the police department urged them to call off the agitation, the activists refused to budge from their stand.

The Samiti has been fighting against the timber mafia which has been felling trees from the Government land and forest since long.

After the Government took possession of over 1,800 acres of valuable land in Sipasarubali village located along the sea coast from the clutches of mafia following a court order, the Samiti has been demanding distribution of the land among the landless poor of nearby villages.

They have also been opposing allotment of the said land for ‘Samuka’ mega tourism project of the State Government.

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The New Indian Express
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