Patashpur turns into a battlefield after police and locals involve in a clash over discrepancy on distribution of Amphan relief package

Patashpur turns into a battlefield after police and locals involve in a clash over discrepancy on distribution of Amphan relief package

The situation turned violent when the Trinamul Congress panchayat samity sabhapati of Pataspur –II block, Chandan Sahoo reached the spot. As soon as he reached there, hundreds of agitating people rushed to him and started hurling abusive languages at him. They held him responsible for allotting relief funds to the names of his relatives. Some of them even thrashed him.

                      Biswabrata Goswami

MIDNAPORE, 3 JULY: Once again Patashpur in East Midnapore turned into a battlefield when a large section of police reached Matirampur under Patashpur police station limits where hundreds of people staged a sit-in-demonstration on the Egra – Bajkul state highway to protest against the irregularities in the distribution of Amphan relief package today.

Hundreds of local residents put up a blockade on the state highway demanding distribution of Amphan relief to the people who originally lost their houses or suffered most during the impact of the super cyclone Amphan.

The agitating people raised fingers at the local Trinamul Congress leaders for grabbing relief funds meant for the beneficiaries. They held the Trinamul leaders responsible for nepotism.

The situation turned violent when the Trinamul Congress panchayat samity sabhapati of Pataspur –II block, Chandan Sahoo reached the spot. As soon as he reached there, hundreds of agitating people rushed to him and started hurling abusive languages at him. They held him responsible for allotting relief funds to the names of his relatives. Some of them even thrashed him.

On hearing the news, a large section of police reached there and rescued Sahoo from the clutches of the agitating people.

A section of irate mob then involved in a clash with the police persons and soon the area turned into a battlefield.

The police officials led by Sheikh Aktar Ali, sub-divisional police officer, Egra resorted to a lathicharge to disperse the mob.

According to police sources, a huge contingent of force was called in to control the situation. “Two rounds were fired in the air to bring the situation under control,” a district police officer said.

He said the villagers were agitating over the irregularities in Amphan relief funds which reportedly went to various fake accounts, thus depriving those who were actually affected by the cyclone.

A senior police official said several persons including a few police persons were injured during the clash and they have been admitted to the local hospital for treatment.

Though, no persons involved in the clash have been arrested yet, but the police have initiated a suo-motto case against some unidentified persons. The police also started identifying people who carried out ransacking roadside shops and stranded vehicles.

Local Trinamul Congress leaders alleged the BJP had instigated people to begin agitation against their party leaders and they turned the situation violent when the police reached there.

The BJP leaders, however, alleged it was a spontaneous agitation by the local residents who are being deprived of getting Amphan relief funds. As the TMC leaders involved in nepotism and distributed funds amongst their groups, the locals became furious and put up a road block. But, police resorted to a lathi charge on those who are being deprived.