JORABAT, Nov 15 - Local public today stopped construction work at an IMFL distillation factory located at Sokura, Khetri, near NH-37, alleging that the factory was set up illegally on agricultural land.
The factory, Siva Beverages Pvt Ltd, is owned by Tushar Sigla and Prag Raj Sigla.
Backed by the AASU unit of Dimoria, people numbering more than 500, under the banner of Sokura Kendubam Bagicha Unnayan Samiti, stopped the boring work that was going on at the factory, and locked its main gate.
Following this, Sonapur ACP Hari Prasad Sarma reached the spot and asked the factory authorities to stop the work for the time being.
The chief advisor of the Dimoria AASU unit informed this newspaper that the land on which the distillation factory was established was completely an agricultural land (dag No.282,283,359, patta No.29, 41) of the Kendubam revenue village under the Sonapur Revenue Circle. He stated that the administration had given permission to set up the factory at Tetelia, but it was set up at Khetri instead.
He said the Dimoria AASU demands an inquiry as to how the agricultural land was converted to an industrial land, and how a factory that was supposed to be set up at Tetelia, could undertake its construction activities at Khetri instead. He demanded that the Excise Commissioner must intervene in this matter.
