Dhenkanal/ Bhawanipatna/Daringibadi: Normal life was disrupted in Dhenkanal, Bhawanipatna and Baliguda Tuesday in support of bandhs called by various outfits in these places in support of their respective demands.
Many business and educational institutions remained closed, while vehicles stopped plying on road as BJP workers staged a dawn-to-dusk bandh in protest against deteriorating healthcare services in the district. The agitating party workers and leaders picketed in front of all commercial establishments, medicine stores, banks, government, private offices to enforce the bandh.
They also locked up the gates of the district Collectorate and prevented the entry of judges to civil court. Moreover, they staged road blockades at Korian by-pass Square, Baji Chowk, College by-pass Square and the national highway on the outskirts of the town. Some BJP leaders were seen playing cricket on the deserted roads making the best use of the opportunity.
The BJP has been resenting the shifting of the district headquarters hospital from Baji Chowk to Dakhina Kali road without developing the necessary infrastructure and the presence of only six doctors against 54 sanctioned posts, lack of adequate healthcare personnel, non-implementation of Ayushman Yojana and denial of benefits to beneficiaries under Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana.
All legal activities came to a halt at Baliguda in Kandhamal district Tuesday in response to a two-day bandh called jointly by the Bar Council of India, New Delhi, State Bar Council, Cuttack, and the Bar Associations of Odisha demanding a sitting hall, furniture and fixtures, library, Internet facility and toilets for the lawyers (especially female advocates). They have also demanded that the Central government make provision for a corpus fund of Rs 5,000 crore in the Union Budget for the welfare of all lawyers across the country.
Life was affected in Bhawanipatna in response to a 24-hour bandh call given by a local outfit ‘Janam Mati Surakhya Sangram Samiti’m which demanded allotment of permanent patta to the urban people on government land for generations. The bandh had an impact on the entire city and movement of vehicles was halted; almost all the banks, business setups, government and private offices, and courts remained closed for the day.
PNN
