Times of India

A team of government officials had to face a tough time on Wednesday as they reached Gorakhpur village of Fatehabad district to conduct a survey for the purposed nuclear power plant there. The farmers allegedly misbehaved with the officials and even made them hostage for a few minutes.

women in Gorakhpur

A team of over a dozen officials, including 10 patwaris, had reached the village to collect records about houses, trees, tubewells and agricultural land within the 1,313 acres to be acquired for the power plant.

As soon as the officials started work, about a hundred farmers, including women, rushed towards them and asked them to go back. A farmer allegedly misbehaved with the officials and made them hostage for a few minutes in a room at the proposed site, sources said.
[notice]See this report on the Gorakhpur Nuclear Power plant:
Nuclear Madness At Delhi’s Doorsteps[/notice] Confirming that the farmers had protested visits by officials, president of Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, Hans Raj Siwach, said, “Farmers have stopped the government officials. They don’t want to give their fertile land for the power plant.”

As the message reached district headquarters, sub-divisional magistrate Baljeet Singh and deputy superintendent of police Jagdish Chander reached the spot, along with heavy police force, and ordered the team to return from the village.

When contacted, deputy commissioner M L Kaushik said, “The work of nuclear power plant is going on peacefully. If anyone obstructs government work, he will face police action. We have informed police about what happened at the village. Now the police will take action accordingly.”

However, DSP Jagdish Kumar said, “We have not received any complaint from anybody. Police will take action accordingly if and when complaints are received.”

DC Kaushik had constituted a team comprising SDM Baljeet Singh, joint director of agriculture department, Anoop Singh and tehsildar Nourang Dass, to conduct a survey of the land.