Nabarangpur July 2: Life came to a halt in eight 8 KBK districts when the Congress called out for a dawn-to-dusk Bandh, thus demanding for land pattas for the tribal under the Forest Rights Act and also revolting against the arrest of the Former Congress MP, Pradip Majhi who was released on bail yesterday.
The party had requested the people of these eight districts to make the Bandh successful. Roads were been blocked at many places and vehicles came to a standstill. The members of the protesting party also staged demonstrations in all these eight districts at Kalahandi, Balangir, Koraput, Sonepur, Nuapada, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri and Rayagada. However, emergency services and educational institutions managed to avoid the Bandh. Adequate security arrangements have been made in these districts to avoid any untoward situation. Imitating the NDA and the BJD government and calling them as anti-tribal,
Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee President, Prasad Harichandan accused that both these governments were exploiting the tribal. Accusing the Naveen Patnaik Government of protecting criminals, Harichandan further went on to blame for protecting those BJD leaders who had their involvement in the chit fund scandal. He justified the actions of Majhi thus making his arrest prove illegal and unjustified.
Further, allegations were that Government officials were exploiting the tribal particularly in undivided KBK (Kalahandi-Balangir-Koraput) districts in the name of giving pattas and also False cases are being filed against them who are arrested when they protest, similarly, the Centre has made provisions to take away 40 per cent of forest land to benefit corporate houses, he added.
