Bhavanagar:

Police today arrested around 50 people and resort to tear gas lobbing and baton charge at a coal mining site in and around Badi village under Ghogha taluka of Bhavnagar district.

SP P L Mal said that the land under which there was lignite coal reserve in ample amount was acquired by the state government long back for supply of coal to its thermal plants. Around 2500 to 3000 people assembled near the mining site of Gujarat Power Corporation Ltd (GPCL) opposing it. Police had to resort to tear gas lobbing, baton charge and arrest of around 40 to 50 people including some women.

Notably over 3300 acre of land in Badi and 11 villages around it including Surkha, Horda etc was acquired way back in 90s. The consent of villagers were taken between 1997 to 2005. But as the actual possession did not take place earlier the villagers were now reportedly demanding more compensation and some of them who have their cultivable land at stake were opposing it since December last year.

Mal said that the actual mining work has started from today. Around 700 police personnel have been deployed at the site to avert any untoward incident and prohibitory orders were in place under section 144.

He said that the situation was now under control.

Meanwhile, 3 to 4 injured villagers who sustained minor injuries during baton charge and scuffle with the police were taken to Sir T hospital in Bhavnagar.

A government official said that earlier as Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation Ltd ( GMDC) had ample coal for supply to various plants including the one of the Bhavnagar electric company ltd, it did not bother for coal mining on the land but now it was hard pressed to go for it. The coal mining on the land was to be done by open shaft method.

DeshGujarat