Bhubaneswar: A statewide bandh called by the Navnirman Krushak Sangathan (NKS) brought normal life to a grinding halt in Odisha on Wednesday, with protesters taking to the streets to press for key demands related to agriculture and public utilities.
The eight-hour shutdown, which began at 6 am, saw NKS activists blocking major roads, burning tyres, and staging picketing in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and other parts of the state, leading to widespread disruption of vehicular movement.
In Bhubaneswar, protesters have blocked Uttara Square, burning tyres, while in Cuttack, private buses are off the roads, except for Ama Bus from Netaji Bus Terminal. Police have been deployed across the area to maintain security.
The farmers’ body is protesting alleged irregularities in paddy procurement, hefty fines for pollution certificates, and arbitrary electricity tariff practices by Tata Power.
While essential services like emergency and healthcare remained unaffected, public transport was hit, with bus services disrupted in several regions, including Cuttack. Many private buses stayed off the roads, causing inconvenience to commuters at major bus terminals.
NNKS coordinator Akshay Kumar says, “The government’s apathy towards farmers continues. Half of the farmers are getting the MSP, while the other half are not. The agony of farmers has reached its peak. The government is unable to recover Rs 42,000 crore from polluting industries, yet it imposes fines like pollution tax on common people. The scam of looting people through Tata Power’s smart meters must stop. That’s why we have called for a bandh against the government’s anti-farmer and anti-people policies.”
