A protest demanding an underpass for an expressway in Odisha’s Kendrapara district turned volatile on Friday, prompting authorities to enforce prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) around a police station, officials said.
For the last four days, residents have been holding a sit-in near the Paradip-Daitary Expressway, and even blocked it for five hours on Thursday. The agitators are calling for a dedicated underpass at the Silipur junction to ensure the safety of densely populated villages situated along the high-traffic corridor.
The friction comes as work is underway to expand the four-lane highway into an eight-lane expressway. This vital route links the mineral-heavy regions of Keonjhar and Jajpur with the Paradip port.
Tensions flared on Friday morning as the demonstrators tried to block the expressway again, forcing the police to intervene to prevent a renewed blockade. The police also took one of the demonstrators into custody.
The police action sparked outrage, leading hundreds of people, including women and college students, to march toward and surround the Marshaghai police station and lay a siege.
In response to the standoff, the district administration imposed prohibitory orders around the police station, banning gatherings of four or more individuals.
“The situation was brought under control after reinforcements arrived from the district police headquarters,” he said.
Normalcy was restored after assurances were given to the locals by the administration that an underpass would be constructed as per the demand, police said.
