Traffic movement on NH 33 was hampered between Dimna Square and Baharagora, as the JMM activists squatted on the road as part of its indefinite blockade which began on Thursday to protest the State Government’s delay in repairing the highway. The activists started their agitation near Dimna Square as heavy deployment of police forces failed to disrupt the link with Ranchi at Pardih.
long distance buses and heavy vehicles moving from city to Ranchi and other districts of Jharkhand and neighbouring State of Bihar moved via the NH-33 stretch from Pardih.
“Despite claims by the State Government, the NH 33 road is in a dilapidated condition and full of pot holes. We have been demanding repair of the road since long but no one took it seriously forcing us to take the path of agitation,” said a party leader. He said that the JMM activists brought traffic movement to halt.
JMM Baharagora Kunal Sarangi said that they adopted guerilla tactics to foil arresting by the police. “As per the information we received, the police had planned to arrest us from our home and this has made us go in hiding. In the morning our activists sat on dharna on the NH-33 but were arrested. later, our activists changed the strategy and took away the keys of vehicles and buses and punctured tyre to cause blockade,” said Kunal Sarangi.
According to information, the blockade was held at Dimna square, Phuldungri (Ghatshila), Salboni (Galudih), Dhalbhumgarh square (Ghatshila), Baharagora square (connecting Jharkhand-Odisha) and Jagannathpur (near NH-6 connecting Jharkhand-Bengal)
A police official said that police force along with magistrates had been deployed to avoid blockade on the important highway since morning.
The rural SP Shailendra Sinha said that over 100 JMM activists have been arrested so far while enforcing bandh. “We had deployed the security personnel. We are trying to remove the blockade as soon as possible on the NH-33 stretches near Ghatshila and Baharagora and have so far arrested over 100 activists from different points of NH-33,” said the rural SP.
Meanwhile, JMM leader and Seraikela MlA Champai Soren said that they will continue with their indefinite blockade till the State Chief Minister Raghubar Das declare a date for repair of the NH-33 stretch.
Chief patron of the Jamshedpur Bus Owners Association, Upendra Sharma said that long distance buses from city to Ranchi and Bihar was not much affected. Buses movement was normal between Jamshedpur to Ranchi and other districts of Jharkhand and also to Bihar.
However, commuters had to wait for several hours sitting inside the buses on a hot day at Sitaramdera Bus Terminus. The blockade inconvenienced some of the families from Jamshedpur who were heading to Odisha. Commuters faced harrowing due to the jam. “I am scheduled to go to Odisha for my exam but the jam has delayed me,” said Rajesh Singh, a student.
Meanwhile, a police official informed that since morning they wanted the highway link between city and Ranchi not to be disturbed. They succeeded in this respect. However, there are reports of blockade on the stretch between city and Ghatshila.