Muktikanta Biswal, the Rourkela youth who had walked all the way to New Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi but in vain, began a hunger strike for an indefinite period in front of the Ispat General Hospital (IGH) here on Tuesday for pressing his demands.
Extending support to Biswal, convenor of Yuva Jagruti Manch Gopal Jena also joined him in the agitation.
Upgradation of the (IGH into a Super Speciality Hospital & Medical College, construction of a second Brahmani bridge in Rourkela and construction of a Koel barrage are the prime demands of Biswal.
It may be recalled that Biswal, after walking around 1,550 km over 70 days, had reached Delhi on June 27 to remind Prime Minister Modi of his promises made on April 1, 2015 at a BJP election meeting in Rourkela to upgrade the SAIL’s Ispat General Hospital (IGH) into Super Speciality Hospital & Medical College and construction of a second Brahmani bridge. He then staged a hunger strike in Delhi initially at the Ramlila Maidan and later at the Jagannath temple, Hauz Khas as he was unable to meet the Prime Minister despite repeated attempts. Later, Biswal had on July 30 launched a Padajatra from Rourkela to Bhubaneswar to meet Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who assured him to look into the demands.