The DM wrote to the government to cancel the public hearing for the Jindal coal block allocation.
Raigarh. The District Magistrate has written to the government to cancel the public hearing for the Jindal coal block allocation. The administration held bilateral talks with the villagers in Tamnar today. A consensus was reached in the meeting. The villagers are now awaiting a decision on ending the protest.
Yesterday, villagers pelted stones at the police.
Yesterday, a violent mob pelted stones at the police at the CHP Chowk in Libara village of Raigarh district, injuring several police officers, including the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDO) and the Inspector General of Police (TI). A police statement stated that villagers from 14 affected villages within the Sector 1 coal block have been staging a sit-in protest since December 12, 2025, in protest of the public hearing held in Bhaurabhatha on December 8, 2025. Around 9 a.m. on December 27, 2025, a crowd of approximately 300 people gathered, some of whom were sitting on the road, obstructing normal traffic. At 10 a.m., the Sub-Divisional Officer of Revenue, the Sub-Divisional Officer of Police, and the Additional Superintendent of Police (SP) counseled the crowd and returned them to the tents set up for the protest. The crowd continued to become violent and attempted to obstruct the movement of goods. SDM Gharghoda and police officers repeatedly appealed to the crowd over loudspeakers to persuade them to protest peacefully. People from surrounding villages continued to gather, numbering around 1,000.
Suddenly, at around 2:30 p.m., the crowd became unruly, broke through the barrier, and attacked the police with stones and sticks. The unruly mob resorted to heavy lathi-charge. As a result, SDOP Anil Vishwakarma, Tamnar Police Station in-charge Kamala Pusam, and a constable were seriously injured. Several police officers and female constables were injured and were immediately hospitalized for first aid.
The unruly mob set the police bus, jeep and ambulance on fire and several government vehicles were also damaged. After this, the unruly mob moved towards Jindal’s coal handling plant CHP, entered inside and set the conveyor belt, two tractors and other vehicles on fire and also created a ruckus and vandalized the office. When MLA Lalungha Vidyawati Sidar, Collector Raigarh and Superintendent of Police Raigarh went to the spot to pacify the mob, the mob became violent and started pelting stones and then again went towards the CHP plant and started arson inside the plant.
