Bhadrak: Thousands of migrant workers belonging to eight districts including Ganjam, Bolangir, Khurda and Nayagarh staged a roadblock on National Highway (NH)-16 passing through this town Tuesday morning. In the process they disrupted traffic on the national highway for a substantial period.
Most of those who took part in the demonstration were outstation returnees. They have been stuck here for the last three days. They were protesting against the local administration’s apathy in sending them back to their respective districts.
The protestors also alleged that the quarantine centres in which they have been put in lacked basic facilities. They also complained about the quality of food being provided.
The migrant workers blocked all service roads connecting to National Highway-16 from both sides. As a result, all vehicles en route to Bhubaneswar and Balasore were caught in a huge traffic snarl.
Officials of the Bhadrak town police station rushed to the spot to pacify the protestors. However, they did not relent. It was only after Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Shyam Bhakt Mishra’s assurances, the agitators ended their demonstration. The ADM told the returnees that they will be sent back to their districts soon.
PNN