Bargarh: For the third consecutive day, normal life was affected in Bargarh Wednesday due to a 12-hour bandh. This time the bandh was not over the demand for ‘city hospital’ status to the old district headquarters hospital but was for the establishment of a permanent High Court bench in the region.
The bandh call was given by the lawyers associations of districts in Western Odisha.
Besides Bargarh, the bandh threw normal life out of gear in districts like Sambalpur, Bolangir, Sonepur, Deogarh, Jharsuguda, Nuapada and Sundargarh. Kalahandi lawyers’ association observed a partial bandh.
The lawyers also opposed the move of the State Bar Council, which recently sought disciplinary action against the agitating lawyers.
Traffic was off the road. Courts, offices, educational institutions, shops and other business establishments remained closed.
Sambalpur District Congress Committee also supported the bandh. The members staged a rail rook at Sambalpur railway station and halted the Sambalpur-Puri intercity express.
Several voluntary organisations also came out in support of the bandh. Koshal State Coordination Committee (KSCC) was one of them. Members of Koshal Sena were seen picketing at all the strategic locations in Bargarh town. In Bargarh, the Judge and other officials had to return from the court gate when the agitators requested the formers to cooperate with them.
In order to avoid any untoward incidents, ample police forces have been deployed in almost all the above mentioned districts.
Notably, Bargarh had witnessed two consecutive bandhs Monday and Tuesday over ‘city hospital’ status to old DHH.
PNN