Bhubaneswar: A day after the Chief Minister announced the creation of 34 new Notified Area Councils (NACs) in Odisha, protests erupted in several places for the exclusion of their names from the list of new urban bodies.
In Loisingha area in Bolangir district, various organisations observed bandh from morning to evening demanding NAC status on Sunday. The BJP and Congress extended support to the bandh.
The Loisingha Bikash Parishad, a social outfit led the agitation.
A dawn-to-dusk bandh was also observed today at Purunakatak in Boudh over a similar demand. Social organisations and locals threatened to boycott the ensuing elections if Purunakatak was not accorded NAC tag.
Resentment is also brewing in Biramaharajpur which has also failed to get the NAC status. People and various outfits and political leaders also threatened to hit the streets pressing for NAC status.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday announced the creation of 34 new Notified Area Councils (NACs) in 20 districts. He also declared up- gradation of five NACs to municipalities.
