The bandh called by Congress in Burla on Monday in protest against the death of nine infants within 16 hours in VSS Medical was complete and peaceful.
Congress workers picketed at strategic locations in the town paralysing movement of heavy vehicles and throwing normal life out of gear. They demanded a judicial probe into the incident.
Educational and financial institutions, Government offices and the VSS Medical College and Hospital remained closed for the day and vehicles remained off the road.
Similarly, Sambalpur’s BJP unit staged protests over the incident. Led by Sambalpur MLA Jayanarayan Mishra, BJP members took out a rally in Sambalpur town and gheraoed the office of Revenue Divisional Commissioner (North). They demanded an inquiry into the incident by a Central-level expert committee and also submitted a memorandum addressed to the Governor to the Revenue Divisional Commissioner. In the memorandum, they demanded a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the families of newborns, autonomous status to VSS Medical, filling up vacancies in the medical and closure of private nursing homes in Burla.
Similar demonstration was held in Bargarh too. Congress workers, members of Koshal Kranti Dal and Citizens Committee burnt effigies of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik during the day.