At least 13 people were injured on Friday as residents protesting the expansion plans of the Bokaro Steel Plant in Jharkhand clashed with security personnel, the police said.
The Bokaro Steel Plant, under its expansion plan, was constructing a boundary wall and gate to protect its area near Addakyari in Bokaro district, some 130 km from Ranchi. But 348 families reside in Addkyari illegally.
When officials of the steel plant tried to put up a gate near the boundary wall, around 500 residents came out in protest against the move. The residents say they would be unable to go out of the campus if the gate was established.
The situation turned ugly when the protesters started pelting stones on the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel and the magistrate on duty. Magistrate Manoj Jasiwal and five security men were injured.
The CISF then used baton and opened fire to disperse the mob. Seven protesters were injured and two of them are said to have sustained bullet injuries.
“We are unable to understand the reason of protest as the Bokaro Steel Plant, the district administration and the local people had agreed for relocation. As per the understanding, the district administration would provide land and the plant would help financially to construct houses,” Bokarao Steel Plant spokesperson Sanjay Tewary told IANS on the phone.