The dawn-to-dusk hartal by the Congress on Tuesday paralysed normal life in Cuttack.“The hartal was a grand success in the city and people in large numbers came out to support the call given by the Congress party,” said the city Congress president Md Moqim.
OPCC general secretary Suresh Mohapatra also claimed that the bandh in the city received a great deal of public support. “People in other parts of Cuttack district too participated in the hartal spontaneously,” he added.
While schools and colleges in the city remained closed throughout the day, the banks and insurance offices were also shut down. Although the Government offices were opened, many of them witnessed thin attendances. The business and commercial establishments downed their shutters.
The public transport was completely paralysed, putting the commuters in severe inconveniences. The private passenger bus services had come to a grinding halt. So also the city buses and town buses stayed off the roads which resulted in few auto-rickshaws doing brisk business.
Traffic on NH-5 was also affected as Congress workers picketed on the highway. led by Moqim, hundreds of party workers squatted on the NH at Madhupatna.
Suresh Mohaptra led party workers to the Cuttack railway station where they squatted on the railway tracks, paralysing the train services.
District Congress president Prakash Behera along with his supporters staged a dharna in front of the office of the district Collector and addressed a meeting demanding resignation of Naveen Patnaik.