Tension prevailed at the site of the integrated steel and power plant complex of Jindal Steel & Power Ltd (JSPL) when construction workers clashed with the agitating locals affected by the project at Nisha near here, leaving about 30 injured.
Some vehicles including a trawler were set on fire and the plant site was ransacked by the villagers before police took control of the situation after five hours of lawlessness.
JSPL is building its six million tonne per annum steel plant and 1,000 MW power plant here.
Locals of Kailakata, one of the affected villages sat on a dharna in front of plant gate yesterday, demanding fulfillment of their key demands, including jobs to male and allowances to female oustees among other things as promised by the company during the acquisition of their land.
As the company security tried to disperse them, a pregnant lady got hurt.
This triggered tension among the locals and hundreds of women on Tuesday stormed into the plant gate and pelted stones on the security staff in retaliation.
The additional superintendent of police Jyoti Mahapatra reached the spot with four platoons of police and brought the situation under control. No one has been arrested so far.
Meanwhile, the villagers who accused the company and district administration of cheating, held a meeting later and demanded stern action against the local inspector in charge of Nisha police station police station and a senior company official, holding them responsible for fomenting the incident.
