BARIPADA: THE 12-hour bandh called by BJP’s district unit seeking development of health and education, brought normal life to a grinding halt in Mayurbhanj on Tuesday. Despite heavy rainfall, BJP members picketed outside the offices at both block level and district headquarters town. Schools, colleges, business establishments, courts and fuel filling stations were closed and vehicular traffic on NH-18 and 49 was disrupted. Ambulances, however, were allowed to ply.
The agitators were protesting large scale vacancies of doctor posts. Recently, the Higher Education department had announced to open OPSC coaching centres in State-run Utkal University, RD Women’s University, Ravenshaw University, Berhampur University, Fakir Mohan University, Sambalpur and Gangadhar Meher universities. The BJP leaders said as North Odisha University was kept out of the project, tribal students of the district will not get an opportunity to prepare for the civil service examination. BJP district unit president Krushnachandra Mohapatra said the BJD has been indulging in politics on matters related to tribal development.
Similarly, several posts of doctors are lying vacant in health centres and PRM Medical College and Hospital (MCH). The agitators alleged that doctors at the MCH do not attend to patients from Friday to Sunday as they engage themselves in private practice.The district has 403 sanctioned posts of doctors and 220 of them are vacant, BJP leaders alleged.