Appeasement slur on administration as locals hit streets

ROURKELA: The spurt in coronavirus cases has created deep divisions in the society with people eyeing each other with suspicion in the Steel City. Unrest spilled into the streets again on Thursday with a group of residents staging protest against having to go through a particular locality to give their samples for tests at a school. A few days after an unruly mob attacked police in Rourkela Containment Zone, a group of around 200 residents of areas under Plant Site police limits came out of their homes and staged protest for an hour defying social distancing norms.  They were against travelling through a particular locality to give swab samples at a school. 

The agitators also cited difficulties in getting essential commodities and accused the Sundargarh administration and Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC) of appeasing members of a particular community. The protest was called off after extra police force was deployed in the area and district officials persuaded the agitators to go back to their homes. 

This is the second such incident in in the last four days. On Monday, a mob of around 250 of a particular community had attacked police in the containment zone. The protestors alleged difficulties in getting essential commodities but the rest of their grievances were frivolous and concocted. A police officer informed immediately after the incident, a meeting was held involving RMC Commissioner Dibyajyoti Parida, Rourkela SP K Shiva Subramani and local leaders.

It was agreed to additionally allow swab sample collection at Plant Site Kalyan Mandap and improve access to essential commodities and services. Sources said the seeds of Thursday’s discontentment were sown by the needlessly defensive administration which has adopted a soft approach towards the stone pelters after Monday’s violence.

On Tuesday, health workers engaged in the containment zone had sought security citing harassment and ill-behaviour in the containment zone. Between April 25 and 26, the containment zone reported six positive cases which are still active.  Parida appealed to people to cooperate with the administration in its fight against Covid-19 but remained silent on the frequent violations of coronavirus guidelines in the containment zone.