Ban Asbestos Campaign in Bihar

Attack on cops at asbestos factory

OUR CORRESPONDENT

Muzaffarpur, Sept. 14: A mob of villagers from Bishunpur, Aima, Chainpur and Marwan attacked policemen and district administration officials on the premises of TMT Saraiya factory at Bishunpur. The officials had gone to the village to open the factory which was locked by the villagers on September 8. The villagers had objected to the running of the asbestos factory, as it would adversely affect their health, and had demanded immediate shifting of factory from the village. Hundreds of agitating farmers and villagers, under Khet Bachao Jivan Bachao Sangharsh Morcha, gathered on the factory premises and chased away the policemen and the district officials. The morcha is spearheading a crusade against the asbestos factories. Supervisor of TMT Saraiya, Alok Kumar had sought police protection in view of the palpable tension brewing in the region due to the factory. Subdivisional officer (west), Kundan Kumar said that the policemen had to face the wrath of the villagers and farmers. The supervisor and other employees of the factory managed to flee from the scene when the villagers barged into the premises. Nagrik Forum, an outfit of intellectuals, also condemned the move of TMT Saraiya to run an asbestos factory, putting lives of rural masses at risk. The think-tank of the Morcha, led by Sachidanand Sinha, Ram Kishore Prasad, Uday Shankar Singh, B. Prashant, Arun Kumar Singh, Ravindra Kumar Ravi, Shashikant Jha, Nawal Kishore Singh, D. Satyarthi, Ramesh Pankaj and Abhijit held an emergency meeting and sought immediate intervention of chief minister Nitish Kumar to put a blanket ban on the asbestos factory. They also lodged an FIR against the owners of the factory and accused them of endangering the lives of farmers and villagers of the areas. They expressed their displeasure over district officials attempt to open the factory. http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100915/jsp/bihar/story_12936062.jsp