Around 200 Congress workers, including president of the Cuttack city unit of the party Mohammad Mokim and senior leader Suresh Mohapatra, were detained by police as part of the preventive measures in view of the dawn-to-dusk Cuttack Bandh called by the party on Friday to press for fulfilment of a 12-point charter of demands.
As many as 20 platoons of police force were deployed at various strategic locations of the city as part of the elaborate security arrangements to avoid any untoward incident during the bandh. Congress activists picketed in front of shops and other business establishments since morning. They sought support from the public by putting up posters on the roadside. They also staged a road blockade at Badambadi, one of the major junctions in the Millennium City, by placing burning tyres on the road.
With all Government offices and business establishments closed and vehicles off the roads in the morning hours, the 12-hour bandh disrupted normal life in the city. Even train services were disrupted for around two hours as party activists staged a Rail Roko at the Cuttack railway station.
The party has been protesting against the State Government's failure in addressing various civic issues in the city and corruption in the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC). Besides alleging that the BJD Government is showing a step-motherly attitude towards the city, the Cuttack Nagar Congress raised civic issues like the poor conditions of the city roads and sanitation facilities, problems faced by citizens due to the ongoing JICA work and corruption in the CMC.