Berhampur: Vehicular traffic was hit in several parts of the three southern Orissa districts
of Kandhamal, Gajapati and Rayagada during a bandh organized by Maoists on Friday.
The red rebels put up a road blockade at Pangalighati, near Daringibadi in Kandhamal district and at Nalaghat near Mandimera in Gajapati district.
While the traffic was cleared at Nalaghat by the police forces, effort was on to clear the road between Bramhanigaon and Daringibadi in Kandhamal district, DIG (Southern range) R K Sharma said.
Roads in several parts of the bandh-bound Kandhamal and Gajapati districts were deserted with government buses remaining off the roads following a strike by the Orissa
State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) staff federation in support of their six-point demands.
The private operators in the districts have also cancelled bus services in the interior parts of the district.
Vansadhara Divisional Committee (VDC) of the outlawed CPI(Maoists) had given a call for the bandh on May 21 (Friday) as part of their `Rastra Santrasvad Birodhi Divas` protesting the ongoing opearation against Maoists and alleged displacement of poor and tribal people and handing over prime land to industrial houses.
Although the vehicular traffic in several parts of the districts was affected due to the bandh, business establishments, shops, government and private offices were functioning as usual in Kandhamal and Gajapati district.
Meanwhile, the police recovered Maoist posters from Daringibadi, Kotagada and Tumudibandh areas in Kandhamal district. In the posters, the Maoists had appealed to the
people to observe bandh.
The Maoists also referred to the recent violence in Kalinga Nagara in Jajpur district and Balitutha in Jagatsinghpur district.
Police had resorted to lathi-charge and firing on May 15 last at Balitutha to chase away agitators, who were on a dharna against the proposed steel project of Posco-India.
PTI
