The Kui Samaj Sammanway Samiti (KSSS), a body of tribals in Kandhamal district, on Tuesday night withdrew the bandh call it had given on the Christmas day on Wednesday in the communally-sensitive district.
“We decided to withdraw the 24-hour bandh call following discussions with senior officials of the district administration on long-standing demands of tribals,” said KSSS secretary lambodar Kanhar.
Kanhar said some of the demands were sorted out but the State has been dithering on important demands including arrest of the killers of Khageswar Mallik, who was killed in an alleged attack by a particular community at Barkhama in December 2007.
Though the shutdown plan was withdrawn, a ‘Shahid Divas’ would be observed at Barkhama, he said.
The KSSS has also been demanding identification and dismissal of all the persons who occupy Government jobs on the basis of fake caste certificates and restoration of tribals’ rights over land grabbed by non-tribals.
The administration deployed security personnel at every nook and corner of the district, besides the police staging flag marches at Phulbani, G Udaygiri, Raikia, Tikabali, Baliguda and other places.
tIJ /.IJ al>The IJ ba.IJovides some extra entertainment in the form of exhibition of sand art by at least ten prominent sand artists. Hundreds of hands operate delicately on sand every day to create their choicest images. The massive sand sculptures of Jesus are drawing hundreds to the beach. Hundreds of lifeguards are deployed along the beach to prevent drowning in the sea while bathing.
The Jagannath Temple administration has geared up its resources for timely observance of rituals and enough time for darshan of the deities. The cooking of Mahaprasad has been doubled to meet the demand. One-way entry system has been enforced for entry into the temple. Armed policemen have been deployed on temple duty and the visitors are frisked through metal detector gates. CCTV cameras are installed at strategic places to monitor the crowd movement, said Puri SP Anup Kumar Sahu.
The pilgrims are experiencing difficulties as they are to spend the winter nights at a deserted place in the waterworks area as tourist buses are not allowed to enter the city.
IJIJua@IJa was elected as chief organising secretary and Prabhat Kumar Tripathy as treasurer. The election was coordinated by Angul electrical division secretary Bikash Sahu.
tIJIJin@IJ of a Maoist on Sunday. The police got a diary from Pradhan which helped them to bust the Maoist camp, he added.
“But unfortunately Pradhan died on Monday and he was sent to Brahmapur for postmortem,” said the DIG.
Ganjam SP Ashish Singh and Kandhamal SP Kanwar Bishal Singh said seven to ten members of Maoists of Nikhil, Krishna and Sunil group of Ghumusar division fled from the spot.