The dawn-to-dusk Rourkela Bandh, called by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) on Saturday to press for an ESIC Medical College and Hospital here, was total.
While educational institutions, shops, petrol pumps, banks and insurance company offices remained closed, buses and autos were plying as usual. The government offices at Uditnagar were shut down by the picketing Rourkela Bar Association members.
Production at the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) was as usual, while the bandh had its effect on many small and medium scale industries at Kalunga and Kuarmunda and on the RSP-bound trucks which were seen stranded on the Ring Road for hours together. Rail services were also hit for an hour due to picketing at the station.
Except BJD, almost all parties including CPI-M, CPI, BJP, Congress, KKD, SUCI, Aama Odisha; various trade unions like CITU, INTUC, AITUC, BMS, UTUC; Rourkela Chamber of Commerce, Rourkela Bar Association, various market committees, contractor workers’ union, Sundargarh Motor Karmachari Union, Rourkela Hawkers’ Association and many other social organisations of the Steel City joined the bandh.
The bandh supporters were seen picketing at Bisra Chowk, Ambagan Chowk, Chhend Chowk, Uditnagar, Panposh Chowk, Fertiliser and Vedavyas Chowk.
Sources said, 10 platoons of police were deployed in different parts of the city to avoid any untoward incident. During the day, bandh supporters were detained at some places and later were released, said the police.
But the response to today’s bandh indicated that if the government does not take the demand of the denizens of Rourkela seriously, it may turn into a big movement in coming days.