Normal life affected in Odisha due to 6-hour Congress bandh against fuel price rise

Normal life was completelyaffected across Odisha on Monday due to a six-hour bandhcalled by the Congress in protest against fuel price rise.

Educational institutions remained closed, trainservices were affected and vehicles remained off the roads inthe bandh that began at 7 am.

No untoward incident, however, was reported from anydistrict, a Home Department official said.

Congress activists blocked national highways invarious parts of the state, including in the capitalBhubaneswar, leading to huge traffic jams.

Congress members led by MLA Suresh Routray staged a'rail roko' at Bhubaneswar railway station.

Air and bus travellers also faced a tough time inreaching their destinations due to the unavailability ofpublic transport.

Travellers suffered at bus terminuses as the AllOdisha Bus Owners' Association suspended passenger busservices across the state during the bandh hours.

As many as 25 platoons of police personnel weredeployed in the state capital to prevent any untowardincident.

''The bandh has been completely peaceful due to massivesupport from the people,'' Odisha Pradesh Congress Committeechief Niranjan Patnaik said.

He said that emergency services, including ambulance,milk vans and vehicles of media and examinees were exemptedfrom the purview of the bandh.

''The bandh was called to mount pressure on both thestate and central governments to reduce tax on petroleumproducts which will help in lowering the prices of petrol anddiesel,'' he said.

With vehicles remaining off the roads, many governmentemployees pedalled to their offices across the state includingBhubaneswar.

The main gates of state secretariat Lok Seva Bhavanwere closed at 10.15 am to prevent agitators from entering thepremises while employees used side gates for entry and exit, apolice officer said.

Congress workers offered chocolates to peopleventuring on the streets of Cuttack on their private vehiclesduring the bandh hours.

Paradip Port, however, functioned normally and itsloading and unloading operations were not affected by thebandh, an official said.

The ruling BJD neither supported nor opposed the bandhbut opposition BJP criticised the Congress for causing troubleto the people by enforcing the bandh.

''The Congress is facing an identity crisis and itcalled for the bandh to divert people's attention from itsinternal squabbles.

''The state government should also announce a reductionin VAT and opt for GST on petroleum products to bring down theprices of petrol and diesel,'' BJP MLA and the party's deputyleader in assembly, B C Sethi, said.

A litre of petrol costs Rs 89.69 in Bhubaneswar and alitre of diesel costs Rs 86.47.