BARGARH: Intensifying protest over district status demand for Padampur, the Padampur Zilla Milita Kriyanusthan Committee staged dharna in front of the sub-collector office on Thursday.
The committee has threatened to continue the agitation, supported by the lawyers association besides several other local clubs and organisation of Padampur, for an indefinite period unless the demand is met.
The decision to intensify the protest was taken at a recent meeting held on Tuesday evening.
The committee has also planned to lock all the state government offices across the sub-division from February 5.
On February 5 all the state government offices including revenue offices, tehsil office etc. will be locked and picketing will be done outside these offices in Padampur, Paikmal, Jharbandh and Gaisilet, said member of Padampur Zilla Milita Kriyanusthan Committee, Chinmay Kumar Panda.
Prior to this, on January 16, the committee had called for 12-hour bandh across the sub-division to press their demand for district status. Before that, on January 1, in another protest, the locals under the banner Jay Kisan Andolan, defaced the sign board of the sub-collector’s office and erased ‘sub’ from the board in a bid to rename the building as collector’s office.