Rourkela Activist Muktikanta Biswal Who Climbed Atop Hoarding In Bhubaneswar Rescued

Bhubaneswar: Social activist Muktikanta Biswal of Rourkela, who climbed atop an advertisement hoarding at Sishu Bhawan Square in Odisha’s capital after failing to meet Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to remind him of his unfulfilled promises, was rescued by Fire Services personnel on Wednesday.

According to sources, the fire team rescued Muktikanta after 4.5 half hours of effort with the help of a ladder. Though police and Fire Services personnel had earlier tried to persuade him to descend from the hoarding, their effort had failed to yield any result .

The activist was immediately taken to Capital Hospital at Unit-6, for a medical examination.

After being rescued, Muktikanta said that he will give in all his efforts in order to get the promises made by the Chief Minister fulfilled. “The fight will continue,” he said.

He added that “I have come here to fight for the cause of the people of Rourkela and Sundergarh. If I am arrested and put behind the bars today, I will go on fast unto death inside jail.”

Biswal had been staging a dharna near Sishu Bhawan Square after arriving in the state capital from Rourkela on December 14. He also carried two tableaux with models of the projects, including a second bridge over the Brahmani river and upgrading IGH to a super speciality facility, which Naveen had assured to take up with the Centre when Biswal met him in 2018.

Both projects were announced by the Prime Minister on April 1, 2015.

The other promises pertain to a Ring Road along the canal, upgrading the district hospital in Rourkela to the status of Capital Hospital with 400 beds and a ventilator facility, and construction of a number of cold storage in the villages adjoining the steel city.

Muktikant said the foundation stones of these projects had been launched nearly a decade ago, but there has been no progress thereafter.