Bhubaneswar: The chorus for Notified Area Council (NAC) status grew longer and louder with several outfits at left-out places across the state observing bandh on Tuesday.
According to sources, the Odisha government has recently declared 34 new NACs and upgraded 5 NACs into municipalities in various districts. The government’s declaration, however, led to protests in several left-out places.
Several outfits called bandh in protest against the state government’s failure to accord NAC status to M Rampur in Kalahandi, Subalaya and Binika in Subranapur, Bongomunda in Bolangir, Bamra in Sambalpur and Baliapal in Balasore district.
Coming down heavily on state government, Swabhiman Bikas Mancha of Balasore called a 12-hour bandh demanding NAC status to Baliapal. As a result, commercial establishments are being shut.
While residents of Bangomunda in Bolangir and Subalaya in Sonepur district observed bandh demanding NAC status on Tuesday, locals of Bamra in Sambalpur district will also observe a 12-hour bandh on February 28.
After Manamunda in Boudh district failed to get included in the newly announced NAC list, a local body named Kriyanusthan Committee, observed bandh on Monday. The bandh was called a day after Biramaharajpur was accorded the NAC status. Due to the bandh, all the shops and commercial establishments remained closed.
A 12-hour bandh was also observed in Loisingha in Boudh district on Saturday demanding the same. Also, a dawn-to-dusk bandh was observed at Purunakatak area which has also been left out from the NAC tag.
It is being alleged that the CM Naveen Patnaik has failed to keep his words which fueled to public outrage across the state.
