Daringbadi: A dawn to dusk bandh here Thursday in protest against the incident of a Class VIII student of a Sevashram conceiving and delivering a baby and the subsequent death of her newborn has affected normal life in Kandhmal district.
The bandh, called by Kandhmal Suraksha Abhiyan and the BJP witnessed picketing at important squares since six in the morning. Members of both organisations staged road blockades and burnt tyres which affected the flow of traffic.
Vehicular movement came to a complete standstill. Buses plying from Daringbadi to Bhubaneswar, Berhampur, Baliguda, Phulbani and some other parts of the state were severely hit leaving passengers stranded at different places. Educational institutions and business establishments also remained closed.
While the BJP’ state executive member Kamala Pandey and Mahila Morcha leader Sanghamitra Pradhan spearheaded the bandh from the front, the convener of Kandhamal Suraksha Abhiyan, Pratap Kumar Pradhan, Zone No-10 Congress president Kaliprasad Mallick, Surendra Sahoo were there in tow with the leader of the saffron party.
The bandh activists had a list of demands. Among them were proper justice for the victim, Rs 25 lakh compensation, dismissal of district welfare officer and others responsible for the incident, resignation of minister Ramesh Majhi and setting up of an additional session court at G Udaygiri.
BJP also demanded a magisterial enquiry into the shameful incident and transfer and deposition of all officers of the district.
PNN