Bhubaneswar/Cuttack: ‘Bharat Bandh’ called by Congress over oil price hike crippled life in Odisha starting from the morning today.
Vehicular movement on the roads was affected in almost all major cities in the state starting from 6 AM in the morning as Congress workers resorted to road blockades by burning tyres. In rural areas also, streets remained deserted and denizens had a tough time for various works as bandh supporters resorted to picketing.
While following a directive by State School and Mass Education Department earlier, the government schools remained closed other educational institutions also followed those to avert any untoward incidents.
Train services were badly affected in the state as CPM joined hands with Congress and observed ‘Rail Roko’ at Cuttack, Puri, Berhampur, Sambalpur, Keonjhar and Jaleswar Railway Stations during bandh observation since morning. While, Chennai-Kolkata Coromandel Express remained stranded at Jajpur Road Railway Station due to ‘Rail Roko’, Keonjhar-Bhubaneswar Fast Passenger train and Tata-Visakhapatnam Express was intercepted at Keonjhar Railway Station
Bus passengers suffered severe inconvenience as buses stayed off the roads due to the bandh. Passengers remained stranded at major bus stands across the state including Baramunda and Badambadi bus stands.
OPCC Chairman Niranjan Patnaik sat on protest in front of Congress Bhawan with other Congress leaders. The Congress is protesting against the rising petrol and diesel price and make it a grand success
While the Protest in Cuttack was led by Cuttack District President Mohammad Moqueem
Congress has given the bandh call to protest the sharp rise in fuel prices in the country in recent times, which it dubbed as Rs 11 lakh Crore ‘fuel loot’. It is demanding that petrol and diesel be brought within GST along with reduction of central excise duty and excessive VAT charged by states to end the problem
