Bandh in Kandhamal Demanding Rail Connectivity to Phulbani

Phulbani: A dawn-to-dusk bandh is being observed in the Kandhamal district of Odisha on Friday demanding rail connectivity. An organization named the Kandhamal Vikash Parishad has given this bandh call.

Several organizations in the Kandhamal district have extended their support to the bandh call.

This bandh call affected normal life in Phulbani, Baliguda, K Nuagaon, Raikia, Kotagarh, Tumudibandha, Daringbadi, G Udayagiri and Tikabali areas of the district.

Shops and business establishments in these areas remained closed. Vehicular traffic was affected due to road blockades by the demonstrators.

Inhabitants of Kandhamal district are protesting against the revised location survey map for the proposed Gopalpur-Sambalpur railway track prepared by the Odisha Rail Infrastructure Development Limited (ORIDL). It is alleged that in this railway track proposal, connectivity to Phulbani has been bypassed.

The protestors say, the initial location survey map had proposed to connect Berhampur, Aska, Kandhamal, and Sambalpur. But the revised map has a change in the route, with the line now bypassing Phulbani and connecting to the Bolangir-Khurdha Road railway line near Madhapur via Bhanjanagar.