Surguja: The situation worsened in Chiranga village of Surguja district when Food Minister Amarjeet Bhagat, who had come to participate in the cycle distribution programme, was heckled by the villagers. Villagers have been protesting for the last several years regarding the opening of Maa Kudargarhi Alumina Refinery Factory in Chiranga. In Thursday’s incident, the minister somehow managed to leave, but the SDM, District CEO, Tehsildar, and other officers were surrounded by the villagers for one and a half hours.
The villagers said that they wanted to present their views in front of Minister Amarjeet Bhagat, but he did not listen to them at all. On this, the officials assured the villagers that their matter would be conveyed to the minister, even then the anger of the villagers did not subside and they were not ready to listen to the officials. When the villagers were promised that minister Amarjeet Bhagat would be introduced to the cycle distribution program at Kardana, 15 km from Chiranga, the officers were released by the villagers.
Wherein, when the minister and the officer reached there, the villagers again asked the officers to talk to the minister there, but this could not happen. After this, the anger of the people erupted and then the villagers surrounded the minister. Immediately after this, the security personnel of Minister Amarjeet Bhagat became active. With great difficulty, he somehow pulled Minister Amarjeet out of the crowd and made him sit in the car.
The ministers left from there, but the villagers took the officers home. Police had to be called after seeing angry people. The villagers again surrounded the officers for about one and a half hours. When the Food Minister was questioned in this matter, he said, “I am with the villagers. If the villagers want, then only the plant will be set up, otherwise, the plant will not be allowed to be set up, but the villagers will also have to unite, then it will be resolved somewhere.”