Sambalpur: Life was badly hit in the 10 districts of western Odisha on Monday following a 12-hour dawn-to-dusk ‘Mahabandh’ call given by Kosala State Coordination Committee, demanding a separate Kosala state.
All trading establishments, educational institutions and government offices remained closed and vehicular traffic came to a grinding halt in the districts of Sundargarh, Deogarh, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Boudh, Sonepur, Balangir, Kalahandi, Nuapada and Athmallik in Angul.
As informed by the general secretary of the Kosala State Coordination Committee, Sunil Purohit, the committee has excluded Sambalpur district from the bandh.
In Balangir, the agitators picketed at different places in the town despite intermittent rain. The agitators were seen moving from one place to other places in the town in vehicles and seeking the support of the people to make the bandh successful. However, emergency services have been kept out the purview of the bandh.
In Jharsuguda, the agitators picketed at Station Square. Similar protests were also held in Bargarh and Sonepur districts.
However, the bandh was partial in Kalahandi and Boudh districts while in Angul district, the effect of bandh was felt in Athmallik.
Anticipating law and order situation, elaborate security arrangements have been made in these districts, reports said.
