Normal life was paralysed in Sambalpur as rail and road communications, shops and offices remained close on Monday due to the 12-hour bandh call given by the Koshal State Co-ordination Committee (KSCC) demanding separate Koshal state comprising 10 districts of the western region.
One day shutdown evoked large response in the districts of Sambalpur, Subarnapur, Nuapara, Bargarh, Boudh, Jharsuguda and Bolangir. Shops, business establishment, educational institutions such as colleges, schools, remained closed while peoples of all walks of life took out rallies and staged demonstrations at many places. They also held picketing before different central and state government offices, banks and other financial institutions.
Agitators, including locals obstructed trains, highways, as result passengers train remained stranded. Both government and private buses remain off the road. Fuel stations, cinema halls, malls and other commercial center remained closed in the district. Kosal Kranti Dal (KKD), Kosal Raijya Kriyanushtan committee, Kosal Sena, Kosal Parishad had jointly given a call for bandh in the region over the demand of formation of a separate state.
Nirmal Das, spokesperson of KKD said: "now Union Government and Government of Odisha should take immediate steps for creation of separate Kosal state, otherwise stir will intensify". Earlier on June 1 the agitators had staged Rail roko and road blockade on June 9 in Western Odisha on this demand.
Mishandling of long pending demand for establishment of a bench of High Court in Western Odisha by the Odisha government is fueling the separate statehood issue, said former Congress MP Sriballabh Panigraghi.
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