Post News Network
Talcher, April 10: Agitated over the arrest of four youths of the village late Thursday night over their protest against the coalmines, villagers of Dera under the block in Angul district gheraoed the Colliery police station Friday.
Tension was palpable in the area over the arrest of the youths as the villagers gheraoed the police station for several hours.
Police had pulled down the gate at the protest site and brought the four youths Ritesh Pradhan, Sisir Pradhan, Rajkishore Pradhan and Goutam Pradhan, beating them up to the police station Thursday night.
They were later produced in a court Friday. The villagers demanded immediate release of the arrested youths.
On being informed, deputy collector Daridrayabhanjan Madan Mohan Patra, SDPO Kailash Parida and other police officials rushed to the spot and tried to placate the irate villagers.
They relented in the afternoon after long hours of discussion but continued with their protest at Biswal Square.
Meanwhile, the villagers’ protest entered its fourth day Friday as coal extraction and transportation from Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL)-owned Ananta and Bhubaneswari coalmines continued to remain disrupted.
Earlier villagers had locked the office of the general manager of Jagannath area coalmines after the coalmine authorities did not come forward to resolve their demands Thursday.
The villagers hav been demanding an immediate end to dumping of toxic ash in the open, compensation for crop loss and damaged houses due to dynamite explosion, cleaning of drains and roads and lighting the roads.
They alleged that their life has become unbearable due to heavy pollution and demanded measures to help them move out of the place.
