Balasore: Normal life was thrown out of gear in Balasore district Saturday during a 12-hour bandh observed by several labour and political outfits protesting the deterioration of the law and order in the coastal town.
During the bandh from 1am to 6pm, government and private schools, colleges, offices, courts, the collectorate, business establishments, vegetable market, shops and post offices remained closed. Buses, trucks and other means of transport came to a halt while hundreds of commuters stranded at different places had a harrowing time.
Bandh observers held Superintendent of Police Niti Sekhar responsible for poor handling of the law and order situation. They lamented that cases of murder, theft, snatching, gang war, robbery, extortion, rape, molestation and shoot-were on the rise.
Besides, drug and liquor peddling flourished in various pockets of the town. All such crimes happen even in broad daylight, they pointed out.
The bandh was called by several outfits including TUACC, AITUC, CITU, INTUC, NFITU, and HMS.
Bandh observers noted that even though the residents were upset over spiraling crimes and had repeatedly apprised the police of the deteriorating law and order in the town, there was no step to set things right.
The trade unions were compelled to observe the bandh, they said, asserting that it was successful.
Former Nilagiri MLA Pradipta Panda, other leaders like Gourang Panigrahi, Bhagbat Pratihari, Subhankar Mohapatra, Shantanu Das, Nikunja Basantray, Alok Ray, Asit Das and Shyamsundar Jena picketed at various places of the town. PNN
