Row over unloading of coal at Sekha rly station turns violent
Residents, contractors booked for ‘firing in air’
Shariq Majeed
Tribune News Service

Barnala, December 7
The GRP today lodged counter FIRs against the local residents of Akalgarh Colony fighting a battle against the unloading of coal at Sekha railway station near Barnala and contractors unloading the coal after the two sides accused each other of lobbing stones and firing in air today.

The two sides, one protesting against the unloading of coal at the railway station Sekha and the other having contract to unload coal from goods trains fought each other lobbing stones and firing in air after goods train loaded with coal reached here at 2 am in the wee hours of the morning.

Local sources said that a rack of coal which is used by Trident Group reached railway station Sekha near Barnala in the wee hours of the morning at 2 am.

Akalgarh residents who are opposing unloading of coal near the area due to air pollution came to know about the same and reached the railway station asking the contractors that they will not allow them to unload the coal. They added that on the other hand, contractors also started preparations for unloading the coal from goods train.

Sources further said that immediately after the contractors started preparing for unloading, local residents prevented them from doing so and had a fight. They added that two sides lobbed stones and also fired three to four gun shots into air.

Sources added that after GRP reached the spot, residents and the contractors accused each other of pelting stones and firing in air.

They added that following the complaint by Stop Coal Pollution in Sangrur Sangarsh Committee President Karan Mangla, GRP police registered a case against Contractor Sukhdev Singh Dhanola, Balla Ram, Bansi Lal, Sanju, Naresh Kumar, Rinku, Hardeep, Satpal Sattu, Munshi Ram Kumar and some unidentified persons. Whereas on the complaint of Contractor Mool Raj, GRP registered a case against Karan Mangla and some unidentified persons under relevant sections.

GRP Station in-charge Baljinder Singh told media that GRP would make arrests only after investigating the matter.

Following the incident, Deputy Commissioner Barnala Harkesh Singh Sidhu, Tehsildar Rajesh Verma and DSP City Rupinder Singh Bhardwaj reached the spot and asked the protesting residents to give them only six months time duration for unloading the coal at Sekha Railway Station. However at the time of filing of this news report the protestors had categorically asked the district administration that they would not allow unloading of coal at the station.

Meanwhile, reports said that Sekha railway station has been converted into a garrison by the police.

In the meantime, Karan Mangla, President of Stop Coal Pollution in Sangrur Sangarsh Committee, told media that on 29 May 2009, Trident Group and Administration had assured them that within six months unloading of coal will take place at some other place as well as steps will be taken to prevent coal dust during these six months when unloading will take place at Sekha but they failed to fulfill the promise made to the people. He added that since administration and Trident Group didn't fulfill their promise, the residents were forced to start the agitation again.

Deputy Commissioner Barnala, Harkesh Singh Sidhu averred that administration had given some time to people to understand the problem and hoped that they will agree soon.