Normal life has been affected in Bolangir district’s Kantabanji area and Dhenkanal district’s Bhuban area as a 12-hour bandh is being observed there. While Kantabanji Zilla Sangharsha Samiti is observing the bandh demanding district status to Kantabanji, the district unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has given the bandh call in Bhuban, demanding solutions to issues like drinking water problem, shortage of doctors, shortage of teachers, farmers’ problems and bad road condition.
From early in the mooring, the impact of the bandh was felt in Turekela, Bongomunda, Muribahal, Belapada and Khaprakhol blocks as well as in Kantabanji NAC.
The members of the Kantabanji Zilla Sangharsha Samiti were seen picketing at important locations. Since the people as well as several organisations have extended support to the bandh call, government and private educational institutions and offices, markets and business establishments remained shut. Similarly, vehicular movement has come to a grinding halt with hundreds of vehicles being parked on both sides of various roads. The residents have too remained indoors.
However, important services like ambulance service have been put out of the bandh purview.
Earlier, earlier Kantabanji Zilla Sangharsha Samiti had observed bandh on November 24, 2022, March 25 and July 18, 2023 over the same demand of district status to Kantabanji.
The local administration has taken adequate measures to avoid any untoward incident during the bandh, it was learnt.
Similarly, the workers of the BJP were seen picketing at strategic locations in Bhuban. While educational institutions, markets and business establishments have downed their shutters, vehicles are off the road. Adequate police deployment is in place to maintain law and order situation.