Pro-Suktel bandh paralyses life in Balangir Friday, 31 August 2012 23:45 SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR Hits: 49

Bhubaneswar Pro-Suktel bandh paralyses life in Balangir

Pro-Suktel bandh paralyses life in Balangir

Friday, 31 August 2012 23:45

SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR

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Normal life here was affected on Friday due to a 12-hour bandh, the call for which was given by the Lower Suktel Action Committee and supported by many other organisations of the town demanding an early implementation of the Lower Suktel Irrigation Project.

And the indefinite fast by members of the Lower Suktel Action Committee entered the fifth day amidst a report that the authorities are going to start the spillway work of the project on September 27.

Shops and other business establishments remained closed and buses were off the roads during the bandh period. However, train communication was not affected. The bandh activists held picketing before different Government offices. banks and post office, which were also closed.

The Congress extended its support to the bandh. It was during the Congress Government period that the project was sanctioned. The party would launch an agitation after the Nabanna festival demanding completion of the project as well as construction of the long-proposed Balangir Medical College, said senior Congress leader Narasingha Mishra told the media here.

Balangir MP Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, speaking to mediapersons here, said, “The Lower Suktel project is the potential lifeline of Balangir. I along with my father, Balangir MLA AU Singh Deo, have all along strived for an early commencement and completion of this project.” While extending support to all the organisations fighting for an early completion of the project, the MP expressed his surprise over the prolonged silence of the people now agitating for the project “even as the spillway work is going to be started on September 27.”

“We will oppose the Dam and Spillway construction over lower Suktel as it would submerge our land, home and forest. We are in favour of construction of small irrigation project which would cause less displacement and provide irrigation to farmers. We are carrying out our meeting in the villages, going to be submerged after constructions of this project.”

However, Budi Anchal Sangrami Parishad leader Uday Singh Thakur, when asked to comment on the reports that the administration has already started the process of acquisition of private land for construction of the project’s spillway, described the reports as not correct. A meeting of the residents of the villages to be submerged by the project is likely to be held at Gadshankar Dunguripali, 20 km from here, on Sunday, he said.

Meanwhile, several other associations, including the Chamber of Commerce, Balangir, extended their support to the bandh and participated in a rally demanding an early completion of the project.

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