BERHAMPUR: Even as the district administration has decided to shift Marathi families (members of Eregola community) from Kodala to Buguda, people of Buguda on Monday staged an agitation protesting the decision.
The rival groups belonging to Marathi Sahi area on the outskirts of Kodala town and adjoining J Sachina village had been at loggerheads
for a long time over old disputes.
A clash took place after some houses in Marathi Sahi were allegedly damaged when an armed mob from J Sachina village set them ablaze last Wednesday. As both groups fought a pitched battle, two persons were hacked to death.
After the situation started limping back to normalcy, the administration decided to shift the Marathi families from Kodala to Buguda. As the news spread to Buguda, locals convened a meeting on Sunday evening and decided to oppose the move. They called for a bandh and threatened to intensify their agitation if the administration went ahead with its plans.
Meanwhile, the road blockades at various places in Kodala, Kabisuryanagar and Purusotompur blocks have been lifted. The curfew has also been relaxed in Kodala area.