Hazaribag: Former Jharkhand Congress minister Yogendra Sao and his wife, Nirmala Devi, a former MLA from Barkagaon, were taken into police custody on Thursday by Keredari police from their native village Pagar. They were allegedly detained for obstructing coal production, sale and dispatch operations of NTPC, officials said.Officer-in-charge (OC) of Keredari police station, Ganesh Kumar, said that Sao was taken into custody for allegedly staging a dharna in front of colliery pits and coal dispatch centres, which reportedly caused significant losses to NTPC. He added that no FIR had been lodged at the time of reporting.A senior official associated with NTPC’s Keredari and Chatti-Bariatu coal mining projects alleged that Sao and his wife were instigating labourers to protest over non-payment of compensation. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official claimed that the agitation began on January 21 and resulted in an estimated loss of Rs 11 crore to the company.Reacting to the development, the Congress — a constituent of the ruling alliance government — demanded the immediate release of Sao and his wife. Addressing the media in Ranchi, state Congress president Keshav Mahto Kamlesh said, “We have learned that police have arrested Yogendraji, his wife and others. They should be released immediately. The Hazaribag administration must ensure that raiyyats whose land has been acquired for mining purposes are compensated as per existing norms.”Former MLA Bandhu Tirkey said that as the area is a mining belt, issues related to displacement are common and that Sao has a history of raising concerns of affected families.Meanwhile, former MLA and Yogendra Sao’s daughter, Amba Prasad, appealed to chief minister Hemant Soren for intervention through a live video message on social media. “It was a peaceful protest by local raiyyats led by us. However, police have arrested my father and mother and detained several poor and innocent raiyyats. We have repeatedly informed the CM about alleged irregularities by mining companies and the failure to provide due compensation to land losers, but no action has been taken so far. We have also apprised the party high command of the matter,” she said.
