Balasore: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Saturday observed a six-hour bandh in Khaira block of Balasore district, demanding that the area be declared a Notified Area Council (NAC). The bandh, held from 6 am to 12 noon, saw the complete shutdown of markets in Khaira and participation from local residents and elected representatives across several panchayats.
Led by BJD Balasore district president Jyoti Prakash Panigrahi, the protest aimed to pressure the state government into restoring Khaira’s NAC status.
Panigrahi stated that Khaira had been granted NAC status during the previous BJD regime under former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, but was excluded in the latest list announced by the current government.
“It is unfortunate that the current government removed Khaira from the NAC list. Today’s bandh is just the beginning. If our demand is not fulfilled within the next eight days, we will intensify the agitation across the entire Khaira block,” Panigrahi told reporters.
Echoing similar concerns, Zilla Parishad Zone-4 member Rashmita Mohapatra said, “If Khaira is not declared an NAC within the next eight days, our protest will continue.”
Retired headmaster and local resident Jitendra Kumar Mohapatra pointed out that during the BJD’s tenure, 57 towns were announced as NACs, including Khaira.
“Now the list has been reduced to just 16. This move undermines the development potential of several areas. Khaira, which has 37 panchayats under its jurisdiction, deserves to be included for better infrastructure and governance,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Swabhiman Manch also organised a separate seven-hour bandh on September 3, protesting Khaira’s exclusion from the newly declared NAC list by the current state administration.
The BJD has warned of escalating its protests if the government does not reconsider its decision in the coming days.
