Kunduli gang-rape: Bandh freezes State, cripples life

JEYPORE: Normal life came to a standstill across the State on Wednesday as Congress and BJP observed 12-hour dawn to dusk bandh over the suicide of alleged Kunduli gang-rape victim.

The bandh was total in Koraput district as workers of both Congress and BJP hit the streets accusing the State Government of neglecting the victim. Activists of both the parties took out rallies in Koraput, Jeypore, Semiliguda and Kunduli and staged blockade on roads and National Highways passing through the district.

Business establishments and banks downed their shutters while educational institutions also remained shut throughout the day. Passengers had to bear the brunt as buses and public transport remained off road. Hundreds of vehicles were seen stranded on Kotpad-Visakhapatnam NH-26 during the bandh.

In Angul, all eight coal mines, producing more than three lakh tonnes of coal per day, were shut down due to the bandh. There was no coal despatch from Talcher coalfield as vehicles remained off road.
This apart, no coal could be supplied to NTPC-Kaniha and Talcher Power Station on the day due to the strike. Similarly, there was no coal offtake to Nalco Power Plant, said official sources.

However industries like JSPL and power plants of NTPC functioned normally despite a thin attendance.
Similarly, the bandh affected production in Paradeep Phosphate Ltd, IFFCO, Paradip Refinery of IOCL and Essar Steel Plant in Jagatsinghpur district. Transportation of fertilizers was also hit as train and truck services remained paralysed. However, the bandh had no effect on the cargo operation in Paradip Port.

Normal life was affected in Rourkela city and the rest of Sundargarh district as BJP and Congress activists separately staged protests at several places. Majority of the Government offices were found closed during the strike. The Ispat Express was detained at Rourkela station for more than an hour by agitators. Movement of vehicles on NH 143 and 520 and State highway 10 A passing through Bonai sub-division was disrupted.

The 12-hour strike disrupted economic activities besides paralysing life in Sambalpur district. Public transport including buses, auto-rickshaws and four wheelers remained off road while all trains originating or passing through Sambalpur were delayed by more than two hours.

However, production remained unaffected in Ib Valley Coalfields of MCL in Jharsuguda. Activists of both Congress and BJP staged dharna in front of the district Collectorate besides picketing at strategic locations in the district.

The BJP also took out a funeral procession of the BJD Government in Sambalpur. Life was affected in Balangir, Kalahandi, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Keonjhar, Gajapati, Puri and Nayagarh districts due to the bandh. Many ATMs in Kendrapara were shut down by authorities of banks which caused severe inconvenience to the public.

In Puri, sporadic incidents of violence were reported from Krushnaprasad and Pipili blocks during the bandh. Activists of Congress and BJP clashed during a rally at Pipili. In a separate incident in Puri town, there was a face-off between BJD and BJP activists after the latter tried to shut down shops along the Badadanda.