By IANS
Kolkata : Villagers in Birbhum district of West Bengal continued violent protests against alleged corruption in the public distribution system (PDS) Tuesday, a day after a man protesting against “corrupt” ration dealers was killed in police firing in the district.
Irate groups of villagers set on fire PDS or ration shops, stores and even attacked the houses of ration shop dealers in fresh areas of the district though there was no report of any death.
A free-for-all prevailed in the district as people looted house after house and resorted to arson while allegations of rape were also doing the rounds.
Forces led by Inspector General of Police (Western Range) Arun Gupta were trying to cope with the situation even as consumers looted the shop of a ration dealer near Kirnahar bus stop in Birbhum district, about 250 km from here.
The shop was later set on fire as village after village erupted on the issue.
“The situation is tense and we are trying to bring it under control. Arsoning, looting and ransacking however continued as we are receiving reports from new areas like Nanur, Mayureshwar and Dubrajpur,” District Superintendent of Police S.S. Panda told IANS.
“The places where arson and looting occurred Monday are now peaceful but violence is spreading in fresh areas,” Panda said.
“We are trying to offer protection to the 900 ration dealers of the district who are being attacked,” Birbhum district magistrate T.K. Shome said.
However, Bishwambhar Basu, secretary of the state ration dealers’ association, said they were living in fear and their women were raped.
“I have reports that about seven women from ration dealers’ families were raped. The government should immediately intervene to quell the violence,” Basu said.
Protests were reported from Bankura district where the agitation first began.
On Monday a protestor, Ayub Sheikh, was killed in police firing outside a block office in Lavpur area of Birbhum district when political leaders inside were discussing the spreading agitation.
A police jeep and several motorcycles were burnt by a mob of over 2,000 that refused to budge until the police fired, reports said.
Nearly 2,500 villagers marched to the block office, about 230 km from here, when the all-party meeting was in progress around 12 noon. Some Congress supporters were already there with a charter of demands.
Panic-stricken officials locked the main gate, but the villagers broke it open, hurled chairs and tables and overturned other furniture.
“They tried to set fire to the panchayat office and also went to my quarters, but the police managed to drive them away,” Labhpur block development officer Arnab Chatterjee said.
Rapid Action Force and Combat Force jawans were called in.
Senior Trinamool Congress leaders were in Birbhum district and party chief Mamata Banerjee might also visit the affected regions.
On Sep 16, two men were injured at Radhamohanpur in Bankura district after villagers beat up Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leaders who refused to listen to their complaints about non-availability of wheat and rice.
On Monday West Bengal Home Secretary Prasad Ranjan Roy admitted: “The public distribution system is not functioning properly. We have asked the food and supplies department to do the needful.”
Ration dealers in large numbers were surrendering their permits in the aftermath of the violence.