Several protesters and police personnel sustained injuries in the clash that took place outside the power plant on Friday. The exact number of the injured was not immediately known, but preliminary reports indicated the number of those admitted to hospitals with injuries was in double digits.

On May 31 also, police had to use lathis and water cannons to disperse the agitating villagers even as several of them sustained injuries.
Residents of Khedar and several neighbouring villages had been sitting outside the power plant on a dharna for over 86 days.

The protesters including women and children kept marching to the plant in their attempt to take over the power plant, according to the police. The villagers used tractors to break their barricades and barge into the power plant, giving the police a tough time. They also attempted to block railway tracks. Lathicharge and water cannon shots followed a warning for them to disperse, the police added.

The villagers demand they be given the fly ash, but the plant plans to auction it.

Disputes over the ash have persisted since the plant was commissioned in 2010. The villagers had initially collected the fly ash, which is used in manufacturing cement and can fetch high prices. They had also been running a Gaushala with the

Barh power station for achieving the significant milestone. Chief general manager instructed the team at Barh plant to be fully geared up for steam blowing process of the unit. TNNmoney earned by selling the fly ash. However, the thermal plant authorities decided to sell the fly ash to private companies after its prices started soaring, the villagers alleged.

power station has started the work for steam blowing as per protocol of internal MoU target. The unit will start commercial operations this financial year producing 660MW of electricity, out of which Bihar will get 402MW. Regional executive director

The villagers said they had also purchased machines worth lakhs of rupees for collecting the fly ash, adding that the over 1,000 cattle raised in the Gaushala would be affected if the plant deprives them of the ash.

Since the villagers started the protests, police were deployed in large numbers to prevent the vandalisation of the plant’s equipment.
The ash formed after burning coal comprises 80 per cent fly ash and 20 per cent ash. Fly ash is used for manufacturing cement bricks. The plant authorities say they have decided to sell fly ash by adhering to the power ministry’s guidelines issued on February 22.

The plant authorities have lodged a police complaint against the protesters. A first information report was registered against a few protesters and around 150 unidentified others under Sections 147, 149, 186, 283, 341 and 353 of the Indian Penal Code.

The villagers have given the government an ultimatum of 72 hours to accept their demands, failing which they have said they will intensify the protest.