After two days of closing of shops in the main road and busy daily market area here, the shops were opened here on Sunday and the movement of public had become normal.
Prohibition orders in the city were lifted on Sunday but forces were still keeping a watch on the main road and daily market area.
Significantly, tension has been prevailing in Rourkela city since Thursday afternoon, after a group of persons staging a road blockade in front of Hotel Chandralok in the main road of the city demanding arrest of one youth, who had allegedly posted some objectionable message. The blockade place being the route of Bahuda Yatra of lord Jagannath temple in Uditnagar, the Rath was reportedly delayed for some time, following which activists of Bajrang Dal had staged a protest in front of Rourkela SP office. As Vishwa Hindu Parisad gave a bandh call, the shops and commercial establishments of the city remained closed on Saturday.
Efforts were taken by district administration to restore peace in the city. Sundargarh Collector Bhupinder Singh Punia, besides conducting a peace committee meeting, involving different sections of public, had made an appeal to the public to restore peace. Accordingly, with opening of shops and commercial establishments in the main road area of the city on Sunday, normalcy returned in the area.