Kosal State Coordination Committee to observe 12-hr bandh on Nov 24

Balangir: The Kosal State Coordination Committee has called for a 12-hour bandh on November 24 in Bolangir and Sonepur districts, as part of its long standing demand for formation of a separate Koshal State. It was decided in a meeting held today at M B Dharamsala here.

According to sources, in the first phase the bandh will be observed in Bolangir and Sonepur zones. Road transport, educational institutions, government offices and commercial establishments will be closed during the bandh. Later bandh will be observed at all five zones, following which a date will be decided to call for a massive bandh.

"Bandh will be observed at two revenue districts Bolangir and Sonepur on November 24 to demand separate Koshal State. As per the decision of our central committee we will first observe bandh at grassroots level and than 'Koshal Mahabandh' will be observed. A 12-hour bandh will be observed in Bolangir and Sonepur and all transport and institutional services will be closed," said head of Kosal Kranti Dal (KKD) Pramod Kumar Mishra.

KKD, a regional political outfit, is fighting since 2007 with a mission to form a separate state comprising ten districts of western Odisha and Athmallik sub-division of Angul district alleging that the area remained neglected by successive governments during the past 60 years.

Since 2013, it is quite active conducting strikes in the proposed 10 Western Odisha districts, which with wide support of local public. It has intensified its demand in the wake of Telangana being granted Statehood.

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