ANGUL: The violent clash between villagers and security guards of Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL) site at Nisha here on Wednesday brought construction work to a grinding halt. As many as 160 persons including the security guards were injured in the incident with seven being shifted to SCB Medical at Cuttack. Thirty are undergoing treatment at Angul Hospital.Following the clash, all the 20,000 workers engaged in the six-million integrated steel plant have left the site fearing trouble.Sources said the villagers were peeved over the company’s decision to stop the monthly job allowances of ` 2700 to ` 4000 to land losers. The construction work has been going on since last three years.On Wednesday, thousands of villagers trooped into the construction site and forced the workers to leave the area. They were opposed by the security guards and armed police deployed at the site.While police and security guards have been accused of resorting to lathicharge, the police have arrested two top security officials of the company following an FIR lodged by the villagers. Ten platoons of police have been deployed at the site to avert any untoward incident.Meanwhile, villagers held a meeting at Badakerajanga village on Friday and decided to continue with their stir.Expressing regret over the incident, the JSPL Executive Director Rajesh Jha appealed to the villagers to come to the table. The company is open to solve the issue, he added.On the other hand, district Congress led by Pratap Pradhan blocked NH-55 and Angul-Chhendipada road on Friday for five hours protesting the assault on the villagers.
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