Normal life affected in Odisha as Congress observes 6 Hrs. Bandh

Bureau,Odishabarta

Petrol costs Rs 89.69 and diesel costs Rs 86.47 per litre in Bhubaneswar.

Bhubaneswar: Daily life was affected at several places as the Odisha unit of Congress on Monday observed Statewide shutdown in protest against fuel price hike and other issues, including law and order problem. Vehicular traffic was disrupted in many parts of the State as the party workers resorted to road blockade during the six-hour (7 am to 1 pm) bandh.

Educational institutions remained closed following the shutdown. Shops and other business establishments also remained closed at several places in the State.

In State Capital, the party workers, led by MLA Suresh Routray, resorted to rail blockade at Bhubaneswar railway station. Congress activists blocked national highways in various parts of the State, including in Bhubaneswar, leading to huge traffic jams. Air and bus travellers also faced a tough time in reaching their destinations due to the unavailability of public transport.
Travellers suffered at bus terminuses as the All-Odisha Bus Owners’ Association suspended passenger bus services across the State during the bandh hours. Hundreds of buses and heavy vehicles were lined up on National Highway-16 following the shutdown. Passengers were seen stranded at the railway stations and bus stops. However, emergency vehicles, including ambulance, milk van and marriage party vehicles were allowed.
“Both the Centre and the State Government are imposing unreasonable taxes on fuel, leading to a steep hike in their prices which in turn leads to an increase in the prices of other essential commodities,” said Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Niranjan Patnaik. He said Narendra Modi Government is not paying any heed to the plight of poor and middle-class. “I thank the people of Odisha for supporting the bandh,” he added.

State Transport Minister Padmanabha Behera said the rising fuel price is affecting the common people. Due to the rising fuel price, several sectors have been impacted, including the transport sector. Besides, it will impact the prices of essential commodities, said the Minister.

On the other hand, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) decried the bandh call by the Congress.

“The Congress party is observing the shutdown for its existence in the State. Crude oil is being imported from other countries. Once Goods and Service Tax is implemented, the fuel price will decrease,” said BJP MLA Bishnu Charan Sethi.

With vehicles remaining off the roads, many government employees pedalled to their offices across the State, including Bhubaneswar. The main gates of Lok Seva Bhavan were closed at 10.15 am to prevent agitators from entering the premises while employees used side gates for entry and exit, a police officer said.

Paradip Port, however, functioned normally and its loading and unloading operations were not affected by the bandh, an official said.
Meanwhile, some untoward incidents took place during the shutdown in Bhubaneswar and Puri and Subarnapur districts. At Bikina in Subarnapur district, bandh enforcers detained a marriage party but allowed the vehicle of the groom and bride to move on. Bandh supporters allegedly ransacked a private vehicle at Master Canteen Square in the State capital while a group of people vandalised a government office at Astrang in Puri district.
However, Congress workers also adopted ‘Gandhigiri’ as they offered chocolates to people who came out on the streets of Cuttack on their private vehicles during the bandh hours.

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