In a protest against the steep hike in fuel price by the Central Government (BJP), today all India Congress party called 9 hours bandh (Bharat Bandh). The bandh affected the normal life in the state. The Bandh commenced from 6am morning and continued till 3pm. The impact of bandh was visualized in Koraput District also. To maintain law and order district police have taken major steps, police personnel deployed at various places of the district keep vigilant on strike. Due to bandh all schools and colleges were remained closed.
The strike was also affected in Semiliguda also, the congress activists staged road blockage at NH-26 and detained all passing trucks, cabs, etc. In Lamtaput block of Koraput the congress supporters staged by burning tyres. Similarly, the bandh was also seen all over the state.
Congress called strike in a demand to bring petrol, diesel and cooking gas within GST along with reduction of excise duty and excessive VAT charged by the states.
Prasanta Patnaik