Post News Network
Sambalpur, August 26: Normal life was affected in 10 districts of western Orissa Wednesday due to a dawn-to-dusk bandh called by the Koshal State Coordination Committee (KSCC) demanding separate statehood.
Shops, business establishments, educational institutions and government offices remained closed during the 12-hour shutdown called by several organisations under the banner of KSCC for formation of a separate Koshal state in the region.
The bandh supporters held picketing in several places, disrupting train services and road traffic. They also picketed at different central and state government offices, banks, insurance and other financial institutions.
The bandh was called in Sambalpur, Bolangir, Jharsuguda, Sundargarh, Boudh, Bargarh, Deogarh, Subarnapur, Nuapada and Kalahandi districts.
Sambalpur city, the educational hub and nerve centre of administrative and commercial activities in western Orissa, wore a deserted look due to the bandh. The protesters blocked Sambalpur-Puri Intercity Express at Sambalpur Road railway station while bandh supporters also staged demonstrations to paralyse movement of trains in Bargarh, Bolangir and other areas.
The impact of the bandh was less in Kalahandi in comparison to other districts. Movement of vehicles in Narla, Jaypatna, Bhawanipatna, Junagarh, Dharmagarh, Golamunda, Koksara, Kalampur, T Rampur, M Rampur, Karlamunda and Lanjigarh was normal. The bandh also affected normal life in Athamallik area of Angul district where several organisations and political parties extended their support to the cause.
While the bandh evoked little response in Rourkela, Sundargarh town witnessed some impact with shops, business establishments, schools and colleges remaining closed, police said. Twenty one protesters were arrested in Sundargarh district during the bandh, police said.
The bandh remained by and large peaceful with no untoward incident reported from anywhere, while security was tightened with the deployment of forces in sensitive areas to maintain law and order, they said.
Describing the bandh as a total success, Upendra Mahapatra, convener of KSCC (also known as Koshal Rajya Samanwaya Samiti), said the Centre and state governments should take immediate steps for creation of a separate Koshal state or else the agitation would be intensified as western Orissa has remained backward and poor since Independence.
The office-bearers of KSCC said a delegation would visit New Delhi in the third week of September and take up the issue with Prime Minister, Union home minister and high-level officials. The movement for a separate state would be intensified in future, they added.