Two persons were killed and several others sustained injuries when police opened fire on villagers who tried to lay siege to the super thermal power project being developed by the East Coast Energy Private Ltd in Kakarapalle village in Santabomali mandal of Srikakulam district on Monday.

The villagers have been agitating against the power project for several months and last Saturday clashed with the police at Odditandra village which is on the way to Kakarapalle, when the management tried to resume work on the project. The power plant has the support of the APIIC.

On Monday morning, at about 11 am, the villagers stepped up the agitation. As the mob reached Hanumantharaipeta, which is one kilometre from the project site, the agitation intensified, forcing the police to lob smoke bombs at the crowd. Some of them fell on the thatched huts destroying 50 homes.

Published Date : Tuesday, 1/3/2011 12:35 PM IST