Protest against proposed ethanol plant in Rajasthan; 40 detained

Jaipur: Farmers in Rajasthan’s Hanumangarh district continued to protest against a proposed ethanol factory for a second day, amid heightened security and suspension of internet services in the area.

Officials said farmers began gathering early Thursday at a gurdwara near Tibbi, while internet connectivity remained shut for the second consecutive day. Authorities said around 30 families living close to the construction site had temporarily moved out due to fear following the violence.

The situation deteriorated on Wednesday when a large group of farmers entered the construction site of Dune Ethanol Private Limited in Rathikheda village. Protesters allegedly damaged a portion of the boundary wall and set fire to office structures and several vehicles at the site.

Police intervention led to clashes, during which security personnel used batons and tear gas to disperse the crowd, further escalating tensions. Protesters were reported to have set ablaze more than a dozen vehicles, including a police jeep, TNIE reported.

Officials said over 50 people, including women, were injured in the violence. Educational institutions and markets in the area remained closed on Wednesday as a precautionary measure.

Hanumangarh Collector Khushal Yadav said the ethanol plant had secured all necessary approvals. He stated that the project was cleared during the Rising Rajasthan Summit in 2022 and had obtained permissions ranging from land-use conversion to pollution control clearances. He added that while permission had been granted for a peaceful protest, certain anti-social elements violated prohibitory orders and moved towards the factory.

Police said cases had been registered against more than 107 farmers and villagers in connection with the December 10 violence, and 40 people had been detained. Additional contingents from the police, Rajasthan Armed Constabulary and Home Guards were deployed in Tibbi and Rathikheda to maintain law and order.

Several injured women spent the night at the Gurdwara Singh Sabha, officials said. Leaders from the Congress, CPI(M) and farmer unions in Haryana and Punjab extended support to the protesters.

Protest leaders, however, blamed the administration for the violence. Ravjot Singh of the Factory Removal Struggle Committee claimed that more than 70 people were injured in the clashes. He said over 100 farmers stayed overnight at the gurdwara, with more joining the protest the next morning.

Farmer groups said they would not allow the factory to operate unless fresh environmental clearances were obtained and the consent of local residents was ensured. The company, Dune Ethanol Private Limited, has said the grain-based plant would contribute to the Centre’s Ethanol Blended Petrol programme by increasing ethanol production.