Odisha bandh disrupts normal life as INDIA bloc protests mining law, SIR

Normal activities were disrupted across several districts of Odisha on Thursday as INDIA bloc parties staged protests and blocked roads during a 12-hour bandh against a new mining law, alleged errors in school textbooks and irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Shops, business establishments, petrol pumps and several educational institutions remained closed during the morning. Public transport, including buses and autorickshaws, was also largely off the roads.

Protesters carrying party flags and banners held demonstrations and blocked roads and national highways at several locations, including Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Bargarh, Bhadrak, Balasore, Rayagada, Kendrapara, Bolangir, Berhampur and Sambalpur.

Demonstrators also gathered at major intersections and burned tyres as part of efforts to enforce the shutdown.

Buses, trucks, taxis and autorickshaws were stopped at various places, leaving commuters struggling to reach their destinations. Several people were seen waiting at bus stops due to the disruption of public transport services.

Essential services, including hospitals, ambulances, fire services, medicine shops and milk supply, were kept outside the scope of the bandh, a Congress leader said.

The 12-hour shutdown began at 6 am and is being observed by several INDIA bloc parties, including the Congress, CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML) Liberation, Forward Bloc, NCP (Sharad Pawar), Samajwadi Party, RJD and JMM.

The parties are demanding the withdrawal of the new mining law, the resignation of state minister Nityananda Gond over what they described as errors in school textbooks, and action over alleged irregularities in the SIR exercise.

Senior Congress leader Suresh Routray said the parties were seeking a complete rollback of the MMDR (Amendment) Act. He also demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged “vote chori” and of Nityananda Gond over the distribution of books containing erroneous information to school students.

Police have made security arrangements across the state to prevent any untoward incident during the bandh, a senior police officer said.

Authorities have also held discussions with organisers and other stakeholders to ensure that the demonstrations remain peaceful and are conducted within constitutional limits.

Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police Commissioner S Dev Dutta Singh said discussions were held with various stakeholders to ensure that protesters conduct their demonstrations within the ambit of their constitutional rights.  (with inputs from PTI)