Bandh call paralyses life in Dhenkanal

Odisha Channel Bureau DHENKANAL: The 25-day-long cease work strike launched by lawyers of Dhenkanal demanding establishment of a vigilance court culminated with Dhenkanal bandh today.The bandh paralysed the normal life in Dhenkanal city since morning with the support of almost all political parties and social groups.The bandh was total and peaceful with no untoward incident reported during the day.All educational institutions, shops, business establishment, and all government offices were closed by the agitating lawyers.According to reports, the lawyers stopped trains at the Dhenkanal railway station from 7 am to 10 am and also blocked the national highway No.55 linking Cuttack and Sambalpur for six hours since the morning.Hundreds of vehicles were seen stranded on the highway.“The bandh passed off peacefully with no arrest.Six platoons of armed police were deployed across the city to maintain law and order,” said Dhenkanal Police Superintendent Nikhil Kanodia.The lawyers have been agitating for over three weeks demanding setting up of a vigilance court which has got approval of the State government as well as the High Court.The court room is also ready but the functioning of the court with the appointment of a judge is still pending.Claiming that the bandh was total and was backed by all sections of the district, Dhenkanal District Bar Association president Sanjay Kumar Mishra reiterated the demand for immediate appointment of a judge to make the vigilance court operational.