Odisha bandh hits normal life, Over 200 congressmen arrested

Bhubaneswar: Around 200 people were held by security men and life in Odisha virtually came to a halt during the bandh called in by Congress workers to protest against last week’s police crackdown on protestors.

According to reports, the protesters during the bandh went on rampage burning several buses and disrupting train services.

More than a dozen trains were stopped at several railway stations including Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Khurda Road, Berhampur and Sambalpur as bandh supporters staged dharna on the tracks, a spokesman of East Coast Railway (ECoR) said.

Vehicular movement virtually came to a grinding halt in many parts of the state as passenger buses, trucks and auto-rickshaw remained off the roads, police sources said.

A large number of passengers were seen stranded at railway stations and bus stands at many places, while roads wore a deserted look during the one-day shut-down.

City bus services in many places like Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Puri were suspended.

Shops, business establishments and commercial centres downed their shutter in major areas including Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur, Balasore, Sambalpur, Bolangir, Rourkela, Baripada, Bhadrak and Angul, sources said.

Schools, colleges and other educational institutions remained shut in most areas.

Around 150 Congress supporters including some party leaders were taken into custody in places like Bhubaneswar, Rourkela and Cuttack while picketing near government offices and other places to enforce the bandh, called in protest against alleged crackdown by police during a party rally at MG Road here on September 6, sources said.

Elaborate security arrangements were made by the police with heavy deployment of force throughout the state to prevent any untoward incident during the shut-down.

Posted on Sep 10 2012. Filed under States. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry