Mob attacks Bhushan plant, loss estimated at Rs 50 cr

Tension prevailed in the industrial town of Thelkuli in Orissa's Sambalpur district today when an irate mob attacked Bhushan Power and Steel's plant demanding compensation for death of a worker .

Around 2,000 people, including workers and local villagers, went on the rampage in the plant, setting fire to the administrative building and the blast furnace.

They also set ablaze 50 vehicles parked inside the plant premises. The angry workers ransacked the plant offices, damaging the furniture. Unconfirmed sources put the value of the property damaged at about Rs 50 crore. Eighteen security personnel, including two police officers, were also injured in the incident.

Trouble started when a contract worker, Amit Chandra Yadv of Mau district in Uttar Pradesh, was hit by a speeding truck while going to the plant in the morning. He passed away on the spot.

The workers waited with the body in front of the administrative building for an hour demanding compensation. They turned violent when no official turned up to lend a ear, according to the spokesman of the state home department here .

Sambalpur collector L N Nayk and superintendent of police of the district Sanjay Kumar rushed to the spot to take control of the situation. Armed police forces have been deployed in the plant site.

Meanwhile, Arun Jalani, vice-president of the company said, "Compensation of Rs 5 lakh will be given to the kin of the deceased worker."

Last night, four persons were injured in a clash between the local villagers and security personnel of Hindalco Industries' Talabira coal mines near here. All the injured have been shifted to VSS medical college, Burla. Following the clash, the irate villagers had ransacked the security office and set fire to the project office of the mine. Fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the fire, the police said.