BERHAMPUR: Tension continued to prevail in Kalipalli village within Chamakhandi police limits of Ganjam district for the third consecutive day on Thursday following the arrest of around 15 agitators for allegedly entering the industrial park area forcibly.
Sources said on Wednesday, a group of protestors mostly women, despite presence of the armed police force, managed to trespass into the industrial park area and staged protest. Following their forceful entry, a clash ensued between the agitators and police with detainment of around 25 protestors.
Around 15 of them, including eight women, were arrested in the evening. They were all later produced in court. Sources said the villagers had been opposing construction work by Dipak fertilisers in the area and a clash had broken out between the locals and police in November for the same.
Tata Steel had in January this year, denotified around 206 acre of land and announced that it will be returned to owners. Following the denotification, the officials decided to construct a boundary wall, the work of which began on Tuesday amid presence of armed forces. Villagers however believed the work was being carried out by Dipak fertilisers.
“There is a misunderstanding. The villagers believe the construction work is being done by us. We have just opted space in the industrial park to establish our unit there. Our intention rather is to employ the locals and contribute to the economic growth of the area,” said a senior official of Dipak fertilisers. The officer further alleged that the villagers were being misled.
“We informed the villagers that Dipak fertilisers was not undertaking any construction work. The land belongs to Tata Steel and the boundary wall was being constructed by them. No one will be allowed to take the law into their hands,” said additional SP of Ganjam KC Dalei.
On Tuesday, locals were restricted from going out of their village as armed police blocked the roads leading to the construction site of Dipak Fertilisers in Industrial Park of Tata Steel.