**Cuttack/Balasore/Jajpur:** As Nabanirman Krushak Sangathan (NNKS) took to streets early today morning observing 12-hr Odisha bandh over demands of price, pension and prestige, normal life suffered a massive blow and day-to-day life was hit.
In capital city Bhubaneswar, farmers reached the busiest Master Canteen square packed in several buses to begin the statewide shutdown. Several farmers were also taken into preventive custody here in Bhubaneswar. Private vehicles and cabs also stayed off roads and movement was especially hit near Patia-Nandankanan road. Similarly, NH-16 near Bhadrak was also blocked and over 20 farmers were taken into preventive arrest.
Shops, business establishments and other institutions also downed their shutters as farmers took to streets in Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Balasore. In Cuttack, over 35 farmers were taken into preventive custody and in Jagatsinghpur, as many as 30 farmers met with that fate. 15 platoons of police force was deployed in silver city Cuttack to avoid any untoward incident as farmers sat in the middle of the road in Balikuda. The farmers sat with their banners and shouted protest slogans that kept the atmosphere heated. In Jajpur’s Dharmasala and Chandikhole, streets remained practically vacant in the morning. All the exams that were set to be conducted today have also been cancelled creating hassles for the students.
BJP and Congress had extended their support to NKS for the bandh. Finance Minister Sashi Bhushan Behera reacted to this saying, “The bandh is very unfortunate as State Government has taken massive measures for benefit of farmers. In addition to that, two national parties supporting the bandh has further affected people’s day-to-day life and has also created pressured for students during their upcoming exams.”
