Two killed in clashes over land acquisition in India's West Bengal

At least two people were killed and over a dozen injured during clashes between locals and government forces in eastern Indian state of West Bengal, officials said Wednesday.

The clashes broke out at South 24 Parganas district during the protests by locals against land acquisition by government officials for a power project.

Villagers at Bhangar on Tuesday blocked roads and lit bonfire of used tyres to protest the construction of an electric grid station by state-owned Power Grid Corporation of India Limited, triggering clashes.

Officials said irate villagers vandalised police vehicles and set several vehicles on fire besides hurling brickbats on policemen. Police officials fired tear smoke shells and resorted to baton charging to chase the agitators.

Locals said both the villagers were killed in police firing, an allegation officials blatantly reject.

"Two people were killed during the clashes yesterday," a local pleading anonymity said.

However, a senior police official Sunil Chowdhury was quoted by a local newspaper Indian Express saying policemen did not opened fire during clashes.

"There was no firing from the police side. A large number of police personnel have been injured following firing and bombing by the agitators," the newspaper quotes Chowdhury as having said.

Officials blame the "outside" hand in the killing of villagers during protests.

Authorities have suspended work on the power grid being built on about 16-acre plot following the protests by villagers who also object to the erection of transmission towers and laying of high-tension lines passing over their agricultural land.

On Wednesday situation in Bhangar remained tense.

Reports said authorities were thinking in terms of relocating the power grid in wake of the ongoing crisis.

"We are talking to villagers and we will not acquire any land if people are not comfortable with it," a senior official said.

The clashes have brought back memories of the fierce anti-land acquisition agitations at Nandigram in 2007 and Singur in 2008 in the state. The incumbent Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was then an opposition leader had led massive protests against the acquisition of land by the then Left Front government for SEZ (Special Economic Zone) and the Nano car project of the Tata.

Tata motors moved their operations out of West Bengal in 2008 amid the agitation. Last year, the Supreme Court ordered that the 1000 acres of farm land acquired for the Nano factory be returned to farmers.

In Indian states confrontation over land acquisition often occurs because of the growing demand of land for industrial and development projects. Farmers are usually reluctant to give up land and often demand employment and higher prices, which often triggers violence. Endite