In a major step to solve the Bishnu Das statue row at Raghunathpur in Jagatsinghpur district, Jagatsinghpur Sub-Collector Dharmendra Mallick on Wednesday held discussion with agitating Congress and NNKS activists at the stop and persuaded them to call off their stir. The district administration designated Mallick to hold talks with protestors who were holding a stir near statue place to end logjam. He said concerns of several political parties, social activists, civil society bodies including traders’ bodies from Raghunathpur demanding to relocate late MLA Bishnu’s bust next to Pandit Gopabandhu’s statue have been apprised to State Government and very soon an instruction in this regard would come. The Sub Collector said meanwhile asked agitators to maintain status quo at statue and requested them to withdraw their agitation. Responding to appeal by the Sub Collector, the agitation was called off. Meanwhile, reports said that Congress leader Himansu Mallick who had been on a hunger strike for last 6 days fell ill on Wednesday and was shifted to a private hospital in Bhubaneswar. NNKS activist Rashmi Ranjan Swain informed, “On Sub-Collector’s assurance we suspended our agitation for a temporary period and will be waiting for Government instruction.”