Opposition parties call for 12-hour Orissa shutdown

Opposition parties gave a call for 12-hour statewide shutdown to protest against the BJD-BJP coalition governments failure to deal with various developmental issues.

Bhubaneshwar, Sept. 10 : Opposition parties gave a call for 12-hour statewide shutdown to protest against the BJD-BJP coalition government's failure to deal with various developmental issues.

Tight security arrangements have been made to avoid any kind of untoward incident during the shutdown.

Additional security personnel have been pressed into service to maintain law and order situation in the state.

In view of the bandh call, the State Government has announced the closure of all educational institutions for a day.

The shutdown, however, will not affect water supply, electricity, healthcare and fire services.

All Opposition parties, Congress, Communist Party of India (CPI), CPM, Orissa Gana Parishad (OGP) and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) are supporting the shutdown.

Issues like, the recent incident of cholera in which over 200 people have been died so far as per the official report, gave another chance to the opposition to blame the ruling alliance.

The cholera death row undoubtedly explains the State Government's inability to tackle health problems in those rural areas of Koraput, Rayagada and Kalahandi district.

Orissa is facing monsoon floods in several districts that has marooned thousands of people and killed dozens since early August. The cholera deaths were, however, not linked to the floods, officials said.

Other issues that are being marked by the opposition are large scale female foeticide, fake drug racket, mark sheet scam involving the State Education Minister, pitiable law and order situation with the spread of naxalites, and also corruption in various fields.

ANI