Rourkela: Bharat Bandh proved to be a boon for some slum children near the Gandhi Road in the Steel City of Rourkela. They pocketed Rs 10 to push a two-wheeler up a kutch road as employees of the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) took an untrodden path to reach office on Wednesday.
According to sources, road communication in the Steel City was disrupted as the trade union activists staged a road blockade on the Ring Road this morning.
Finding no other option, the RSP employees made their way to the plant on two-wheelers through a kutcha road under the railway overbridge at the Gandhi Road. As the road connecting with the plant was steep and sandy, they had to seek the help of the children of the slum.
The employees had no hesitation in paying Rs 10 to the slum children for pushing each bike. “We are happy to give money to the slum children for whom we were able to reach the plant,” said an employee.
In another incident, fish literally joined the blockade bringing traffic to halt at Bisra Chhak when a pick-up van overturned after the driver lost control over the vehicle while trying to evade the agitators.
As the people passing through the road tried to collect the fish, they were restrained by the protesters and the police. A crane was later used to reposition the pick-up van.
