Raigarh, 28 Dec:

An ongoing protest against a coal mining project in Chhattisgarh’s Raigarh district turned violent on Saturday in the Tamnar area, leaving several policemen injured and government and private property damaged, officials said.

According to the district administration, protesters stormed the coal handling plant ofJindal Power Limited. They set fire to a conveyor belt, two tractors and other vehicles, besides vandalising office premises. A police bus, a jeep and an ambulance were also torched during the clashes, heightening tension in the area.

People from 14 villages affected by the Gare Pelma Sector-I coal block have been staging a sit-in protest at CHP Chowk in Libra village since 12 December. The agitation is against a public hearing held on 8 December at Dhaurabhatha for the proposed mining project, which villagers allege violated prescribed norms.

A statement issued by the district administration said that around 300 protesters gathered at the site on Saturday morning, with some allegedly blocking roads and disrupting traffic. Senior revenue and police officials intervened around 10 am and persuaded the protesters to return to their designated protest site.

However, the crowd later swelled to nearly 1,000 as people from nearby villages joined the demonstration. Despite repeated appeals by officials through loudspeakers to maintain peace, the situation deteriorated in the afternoon.

The administration said the crowd turned violent around 2.30 pm, broke police barricades and attacked personnel with stones and sticks. Sub-Divisional Officer of Police Anil Vishwakarma, Tamnar police station in-charge Kamla Pusam and a constable sustained serious injuries, while several other policemen, including women personnel, were also hurt.

The violence continued even after local MLA Vidyawati Sidar, Raigarh Collector Mayank Chaturvedi and Superintendent of Police Divyang Patel reached the spot to pacify the protesters. Another incident of arson was reported inside the coal handling plant during their visit, officials said.

Collector Mayank Chaturvedi told reporters that villagers had been protesting peacefully for nearly 15 days and that the administration had ensured the provision of basic facilities at the site.

"On Saturday at around 2 to 2.30 pm, some anti-social elements provoked protesters and stone-pelting began, injuring security personnel deployed at the site. Further attempts were made by public representatives, district administration and police officials to hold talks, but the crowd remained aggressive and appeared leaderless," he said.

He added that efforts were underway to identify those responsible and restore dialogue. The condition of the injured policemen is stable, with some shifted to Raigarh for better medical treatment.

Villagers alleged that the situation escalated after police attempted to remove protesters from the demonstration site earlier in the day. One agitator, Rajesh Singh Markam of Kasdol village, submitted a complaint to the Raigarh Superintendent of Police claiming he had received threats from the local station house officer.

Meanwhile, purported videos of the clashes circulated on social media, showing a woman police officer being assaulted by women in the crowd, while others were seen trying to protect her.

Chhattisgarh Congress president Deepak Baij termed the incident unfortunate and blamed it on the state government’s handling of the issue.

"The villagers were holding a peaceful agitation but were provoked by the government's approach," Baij said.

Police said security has been tightened and the situation remains tense but under control.