A lingering dispute over land acquisition for an under-construction glucose and starch factory in Bihar’s Araria district between the factory owners and villagers turned violent on Friday. Four protesting villagers were killed and about 10 others were injured in the ensuing firing by the police.
A woman and a child were among the four killed in the firing that took place in the private factory’s premises near the northern Bihar town of Forbesganj in Araria. The injured, admitted at a hospital in Forbesganj, were reported to be in a stable condition.
An angry mob of hundreds of villagers surrounded the premises of the factory owned by Auro Sundaram International Pvt. Ltd., Roorkee, and insisted that they be allowed to use a road passing through the middle of the premises. Armed with bamboo sticks and spears, the villagers set fire to parts of the factory and also reportedly attacked the vehicles of the Araria SP, Garima Mallik, and the local SDM. Policemen opened fire when the mob refused to stop their rampage.
The land for the maize processing unit for production of maize starch and liquid glucose and a 3-MW captive power plant at the Forbesganj Industrial Area was allotted to the company last year by the Bihar Industrial Area Development Authority (BIADA), said sources.
When the land acquisition process began a few months back, villagers demanded that they be allowed to use a road passing through the factory’s premises.
Despite BIADA officials and the factory representatives having held peaceful talks with the villagers two days ago to reach an agreement, the dispute flared up into violence reportedly due to the interference of some local anti-social elements. Araria district magistrate M. Sarvanan and SP Garima Maallik could not be reached for comments despite efforts, but sources said the causes of Friday’s violence were urgently put under investigation.