Bihar: Police van set on fire; farmers go on rampage after lathicharge last night

A group of farmers protesting here in Bihar's Buxar demanding better compensation for their land acquired for the Chausa power plant.

Buxar:A police van was set on fire and several other government vehicles vandalised by the protesting farmers in Bihar's Buxar on Wednesday. The local residents went on the rampage after the police allegedly entered a farmer's house on Tuesday night and thrashed him for participating in the protests. The farmers have protesting here demanding better rates for their land acquired for the Chausa Power Plant.

Commenting on the situation, Manish Kumar, Superintendent of Police, Buxar, said, "People have also vandalised the power plant. Police are trying to control the situation and will be controlled soon." To disperse the crowd, the police also fired about 6 rounds in the air.

The farmers have alleged that the police brutality was unleashed on them though they were carrying out peaceful protests seeking adequate compensation for their lands. Furious farmers set a police van on fire and set ablaze the gate of Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN), which is handling the Chausa Thermal Power Plant. Protestors alleged that police barged into the house of farmers and lathi-charged women, men and children, in which many people were badly injured.

As per reports, the farmers' lands were booked by SJVN in Chausa for the Thermal Power Plant even before 2010-11 and the farmers were paid compensation according to the land rates of 2010-11. The company started the process of acquiring the land of the farmers in 2022, putting farmers at a huge loss in terms of the rate allotted for the land. For the past two months, farmers are agitating against the low rate paid for the land and are demanding compensation based on the present rate.

“For the last two months, we have been demanding proper compensation for land as per the current rate, but the company is forcibly acquiring the land by paying compensation at the old rate. Police are beating us to suppress our movement. Even children were beaten by the police last night. After all, what is our fault that the police beat us so brutally", said a farmer.