Sambalpur (Odisha): Normal life was paralysed following closure of shops and disruption of rail and road traffic during a bandh called by lawyers in Western Odisha on Thursday demanding establishment of a permanent bench of the High Court in the region.
Shops and business establishments were closed, while train services and vehicular traffic were disrupted in the region during the dawn-to-dusk shut-down called by All Western Odisha Lawyers` Association Central Action Committee (CAC).
Educational institutions, government offices, judicial courts, banks and financial establishments also remained closed in western Odisha districts including Sambalpur, Sundergarh, Jharsuguda, Deogarh, Bargarh, Subarnapur and Nuapada where bandh supporters staged demonstrations.
A large number of passengers were stranded at different railway stations and bus stands due to blockade at Sambalpur and other places by bandh supporters which led to cancellation of Sambalpur-Rayagada Inter-city Express, Sambalpur-Puri Inter-city
Express and Sambalpur-Jharsuguda DMU trains, official sources said.
About four other trains were delayed due to the bandh which remained peaceful with no untoward incident reported from any place, a senior police official said.
Major political parties are supporting the demand for establishment of permanent bench of Orissa High Court in the region.
"Now we expect Odisha government to take steps to recommend to the Union Government for establishment of High Court Bench in western region," said Niranjan Tripathy, the secretary of Central Action Committee.
PTI
