SAMBALPUR: Normal life was paralysed in Burla on Thursday with bandh call given by Burla Sangram Samiti over settlement of land. The bandh call saw educational and financial institutions, commercial establishments, State and Central Government offices, including corporate offices of Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) and WESCO utility, closing down for the day.
Vehicles as well as public transport remained off the road even as tight security arrangement was made to avoid any untoward incident.
Samiti convener Girija Nayak said people, who had rendered various services during construction of Hirakud Dam, have made Burla as their home for the last six decades. Of about 55,000 residents, around 25 per cent are occupants of government land. But the State Government is yet to provide permanent record of rights (RoR) of the land to them, he added.
They demanded immediate settlement and RoR of the land. If the Government fails to expedite the matter and issue RoR, they will intensify their stir, Nayak said.
The agitators staged demonstrations in front of the State and the Central Government offices besides Sambalpur University and VSS University of Technology (VSSUT).