Bhubaneswar: Normal life was paralysed in several parts of western Odisha as Kosal State Coordination Committee (KSCC) today observed 12-hour bandh in 11 western Odisha districts naming it as ‘Kosal Mahabandh’ demanding special statehood for Kosal region.
Public transportation came to a grinding halt in many areas excluding a few places as the activists staged road blockades on NH and State highways at many places. Government offices and commercial establishments remained closed in several western Odisha towns due to the picketing of the activists.
The bandh gained pace in Bolangir district where local MLA and veteran Congress leader Narasingh Mishra extended support to the movement. The agitators locked the main door of the head post office and blocked roads in towns hitting the transportation system.
Sambalpur, however, witnessed just the opposite. The bandh failed to have any impact in Sambalpur City. Marketplaces, shops, schools, colleges and government offices are functioning normally. Notably, some social outfits like Hirakhand Sammukhya and Sambalpur Bhasa Sanskruti Parishad opposed the bandh call.
Bonai in Sundergarh also witnessed a similar situation where the agitation seemed non-effective as vehicular communication was normal.
The impact of Kosala Mahabandha has been seen in Kesinga of Kalahandi since morning. Kosala Mukti Morcha is observing the bandh for a separate state. Roads and towns wore a deserted look at many places in the district. Activists blocked roads by burning tyres and putting stones on roads. Trucks and buses and mini vehicles are started on both sides of the road at many places.
The bandh also got support in Bargarh, Boudh, Subarnapur districts. Vehicles went off the road as protesters force-stopped the vehicles.
All the emergency services have been excluded from the bandh.
Movement of traffic was disrupted with dumpers and trucks remaining off the roads on NH-55 near Rairakhol as the agitators stopped the vehicle by picketing in front of them.
