Bhawanipatna: Protesting against the recently withdrawn reservation of seats meant for scheduled tribes (ST) ahead of the three-tier panchayat polls, a local outfit Kalahandi District Tribal Association (KDTA) observed a seven-hour Kalahandi Bandh here Wednesday.
The bandh started from 7.00am and continued till 2.00pm.
Most of the government and private offices, educational institutions, shops and commercial establishments remained closed during the bandh. Vehicular movement was severely disrupted in the district. However, essential services including healthcare, media and examinees were exempted from the purview of bandh.
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“Tribals protested in Kalahandi district headquarters at Bhawanipatna and various other places of the district against reduction of reserved seats. We warn to boycott panchayat polls if the state government would not withdraw its decision soon,” an agitator expressed.
It is pertinent to mention, hundreds of members of an Other Backward Classes (OBC) Forum in Kalahandi earlier observed 12-hour bandh in the district October 25, 2021 alleging violation of their constitutional rights by the government and demanded 27 per cent reservation.
Members of a local outfit named Zilla OBC Manch in Nuapada district also observed bandh from dawn-to-dusk October 18 last year alleging that the state government slashed reservation of OBCs from then existing 27 per cent to 2.8 ahead of upcoming panchayat polls.
PNN