**Bhubaneswar/Kalahandi/Balangir/Malkangiri/Nabarangpur/Nuapada:** While the dawn-to-dusk bandh, called by the Congress in the eight districts of the KBK area, disrupted normal life there, Nuapada DFO office was gheraoed and the DFO was hurled egg by the protesters.
Our Nuapada Correspondent reported that more than 2000 tribals along with the protesting Congress activists gheraoed the DFO office demanding implementation of FRA soon and allegedly hurled egg at him. They also blocked NH-353.
Notably, Congress is demanding land pattas for the tribals under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) and is also protesting against the arrest of former Congress MP Pradip Majhi and his co-Congress workers, now on bail since Friday.
The agitating members were also seen picketing in many places in the eight districts of Kalahandi, Balangir, Koraput, Sonepur, Nuapada, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri and Rayagada.
Congress activists blocked roads at many places bringing vehicular movement to a grinding halt in the districts.
However, emergency services and educational institutions were reportedly spared from the bandh’s purview.
The Congress had urged the people of the eight districts to make the bandh successful.
Adequate security arrangements had been made in the districts to avoid any untoward situation.
Our Nabarangpur Correspondent reported that the Congress workers of the district staged a road blockade before the district Congress office following which vehicular movement came to a grinding halt on the NH-26 demanding withdrawal of case against former Congress MP Pradip Majhi and others. He also reported that Majhi and others were released from Umerkote Sub-Jail today as they were granted bail by the court on Friday.
Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Prasad Harichandan on Thursday last at a press meet had announced that it would observe a bandh in undivided Koraput, Balangir and Kalahandi (KBK) districts demanding implementation of Forest Rights Act (FRA).
He had alleged that both the State and Central governments are shedding crocodile tears for the tribals as the FRA is yet to be implemented despite the UPA government had passed it.
“The government is not giving jungle land pattas to tribal people and Congress has been fighting for them. When our former MP Pradeep Majhi and 18 other supporters were staging protest, the government has sent them to Umerkote jail filing false cases against them. We demand their immediate release and withdraw false cases levelled against them. We have called for a bandh in Koraput, Kalahandi, Balangir, Sonepur and Nabarangpur demanding implementation of ‘Aama Jungle Yojana’ in these areas,” the PCC president had said at the press meet.
He had also pointed out that the BJD-ruled government in the state is filing false cases against the Congress workers and sending them to jail. The State Government has also filed false cases against the tribals, who are fighting for their rights.
On Saturday, the PCC chief at a press meet at the Congress Bhawan in Bhubaneswar thanked the people of the eight districts for making the bandh a success.
