Khajuripada: Residents of Gudari village under Khajuripada block in Kandhamal district blocked National Highway 157(A) for more than three hours Monday, demanding a permanent solution to persistent mobile network problems that they said have disrupted education and government services.
The protest began around 8 am as villagers, joined by residents of nearby areas, staged a road blockade on the highway linking Phulbani with Bhubaneswar.
Traffic remained suspended until about 11:30 am, leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded on both sides of the road. Gudari village, located about 2 km from Phulbani town, has been facing poor mobile connectivity for a long time.
Villagers alleged that repeated appeals to the block and district administrations, as well as the telecom service provider, had failed to resolve the issue. They said the lack of reliable network connectivity has affected students’ studies and brought several digital government services at the gram panchayat level to a standstill.
On receiving information, police personnel led by Sub-Inspector Dinabandhu Pradhan reached the protest site and held discussions with the demonstrators. Following talks, police and district officials assured the protesters that the network issue would be permanently resolved within two months.
The assurance prompted the villagers to withdraw the blockade and restore traffic on the highway. However, the protesters warned that they would launch an intensified agitation if the authorities failed to fulfil the commitment within the stipulated period.
Samiti vice-chairman Amit Kumar Digal joined the villagers in urging the administration to ensure the promised improvement in mobile connectivity.
