Koraput: A 12-hour bandh was observed by lawyers in Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur and Rayagada districts Tuesday demanding a permanent High Court Bench in undivided Koraput.
Around 30 organisations of Koraput district, including the Koraput Press Club, Truckers’ Association, Auto-rickshaw Association, the District Chamber of Commerce, Yuva Bikash Manch and the district Adivasi Manch and political parties like the BJD, BJP, Congress and CPI supported the bandh.
Despite the inclement weather under the impact of cyclonic storm Phethai, members of the Joint Action Committee were found picketing government offices at the district headquarters and blocked roads at Traffic Chhak, Bata Mangala Chhak and College Square in the town.
There was a verbal clash between the protesters and locals as bikes were blocked at College Square on NH-26.
All trading and business establishments, educational institutes and government offices were closed and vehicles stayed off the roads in Rayagada, Koraput, Nabarangpur and Malkangiri districts during the bandh. However, the bandh organisers spared emergency services.
The public had a difficult time in Rayagada district as buses stopped plying from 6 am due to road blocks in Jeypore, Boipariguda, Nabarangpur, Kotpad, Lamtaput, Laxmipur, Gunupur, Kashipur and Bissam Cuttack areas.
Bus services to Andhra Pradesh, Kalahandi, Gajapati and Koraput were completely disrupted. The bandh organisers were seen supplying food to the crew of stranded vehicles.
In many places shops downed shutters due to picketing by the Joint Action Committee of the lawyers’ associations of Koraput, Rayagada, Nabarangpur and Malkangiri districts.
Bar association members staged road blockades demanding a High Court bench in Jeypore.
Former minister Rabinarayan Nanda, MLA Jeypore Tara Prasad Bahinipati and BJP leader Bhrugu Boxipatra said undivided Koraput district meets all the criteria laid down by the Jaswant Singh Commission for establishing a permanent HC bench.
They said the place is located around 550 km away from Cuttack, and the area is tribal doinated with many cutoff areas in Koraput and Malkangiri.
Normal life came to a halt in the four districts due to the bandh. Railway services were also affected by the shutdown.
The police had made elaborate security arrangements and there were no law and order deterioration during the bandh.
Lawyers belonging to the Jeypore Bar Association and other bar associations had called a 15-day cease work stir demanding a permanent high court bench.
PNN