Rail Roko by BJD

Rail Roko by BJD

Saturday, 27 April 2013 | PNS | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

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Burning of an effigy of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, a Rail Roko and arrest of local MLA AU Singh Deo for obstructing roads, marked the Hartal in Balangir called by the BJD protesting the Centre’s “step-motherly attitude” towards Odisha and allocation of inadequate funds for the KBK region.

Normal life in Balangir town was affected during the 12-hour Hartal. Shops and other business establishments remained closed. Both private and Government buses were off the roads. Banks, post offices and petrol pumps were also closed.

BJD activists led by district vice-president Bhavani Hota, Arkesh Singh Deo and Harekrushna Sarangi held Rail Roko at the local railway station detaining the Titilagarh-Howarh Ispat Express for two hours.

“While Bihar was given Rs 12,000 crore of special funds by the Centre, Odisha was given only Rs 1,200 crore,” AU Singh Deo said. The UPA Government granted Rs 12,000 crore to Bihar just to save it from collapse in an event of withdrawal of support by the Samajwadi Party and other parties, he said.

“Unless the Centre takes remedial measures for Odisha, we will request Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to organise a dharna by the BJD before Parliament,” Singh Deo said further.