Bhubaneswar: Normal life is likely to be affected in Odisha on Thursday as opposition parties under the INDIA bloc banner prepare to enforce a statewide dawn-to-dusk shutdown in support of their demands, including immediate withdrawal of MMDR Amendment Act.
Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) alongside partners, including the CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML) Liberation, Forward Bloc, NCP (Sharad Pawar), Samajwadi Party, and RJD, alliance will take to the streets during the 12-hour shutdown..
The bandh follows demonstrations near the state Assembly and in Bhubaneswar. Security has been tightened in key urban areas, with local authorities monitoring vulnerable transit corridors to prevent any untoward incident during the strike.
Meanwhile, the Odisha Private Bus Owners’ Association on Wednesday said that its members would operate bus services as usual during the 12-hour statewide bandh called by INDIA bloc.
No decision has so far been taken for suspension of bus services in support of the shutdown, association president Priyabrata Tripathy said.
He said no one had so far approached the bus owners or contacted the association seeking their support for a shutdown of private bus services in connection with the proposed bandh. “As of now, our decision is that bus services will continue as usual tomorrow,” he said.
Private buses would operate normally across the state unless any fresh decision was taken.
However, auto-rickshaw services will remain suspended during bandh, according to the secretary of the State’s auto drivers’ association.
The association has announced that auto-rickshaw operators will join the Bandh and keep their vehicles off the roads during the shutdown.
The decision was conveyed by the association’s secretary while providing details about the planned participation of auto drivers.
Private bus owners’ association has sought adequate security arrangements from the State government during the Bandh.
While shops, markets and business establishments are likely to remain closed during the shutdown, essential and emergency services have been kept out of the purview of the bandh. Hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, diagnostic centres, and blood banks will operate normally.
Ambulances, fire service and emergency vehicles, medicine stores, milk distribution will operate as usual, sources said
It may be noted that the Congress-led INDIA bloc has called the Odisha bandh over four key demands, including immediate withdrawal of the MMDR Amendment Act, 2026.
They are also demanding the resignation of Odisha School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond over errors in school textbooks, resignation and arrest of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.