Normal life was thrown out of gear in Sambalpur town on Tuesday due to a 12-hour dawn-to-dusk bandh call given by the Action Committee for Indian Institute of Management (IIM) to protest the decision taken by the State Government to set up the proposed Odisha IIM in Bhubaneswar.
While vehicular traffic came to a grinding halt, all educational institutions, Government offices and trading and business establishments remained closed. The protesters from various organisations and political parties blocked the National Highway-55 at Ainthapali demanding withdrawal of the decision and setting up of the institute in Sambalpur.
The protesters also detained Sambalpur-Rayagada Express train at the Khetrajpur railway station for about 15 minutes. “We have been demanding IIM in Sambalpur since the last two months. But the State Government has ignored our just demand and betrayed the people of western Odisha as it has finally decided the capital city as its location. We will continue our protest till our demand is met,” said an agitation leader.