Six-Hour Bandh By Tribals Cripples Life In Mayurbhanj

Baripada: A six-hour bandh called by Kudumi Sena demanding Scheduled Tribe Status for the community disrupted life in Mayurbhanj district on Monday.

While educational institutions, banks and business establishments remained closed, vehicles stayed off the road during the bandh hours.

Though government offices functioned as usual, the attendance was thin at most places. Train and bus services were badly affected with the agitators staging rail roko at different stations and blocking several major roads at Karanjia, Udala and Rairangpur.

The bandh supporters also staged a blockade on the busy National Highway-16 by burning tyres. Following which, hundreds of vehicles remained stranded on both sides of the highway for several hours.

The agitators threatened to intensify the stir in the days to come, if the state government failed to pay any heed to their longstanding demand.