BARGARH: The 12-hour dawn to dusk Sohela bandh called by Nagarika Committee crippled normal life in the town on Wednesday. The committee resorted to the bandh demanding sub-division status for Sohela in Bargarh district.
Government and private offices, banks and financial institutions, business establishments, market, educational institutions and courts remained closed on the day. The agitators picketed several places in the town to make the bandh successful. However, the vehicular traffic was not disrupted and emergency services such as police, health and fire services remained unaffected as those were kept out of the purview of the bandh.
Sohela town is located along NH-6 and is barely about 25 km from Bargarh district headquarters town. Now, Sohela is under Padampur sub-division and sub-divisional headquarter town is about 55 km from Sohela. As people have to travel to Padampur for all their government related official works, people face innumerable difficulties due to the distance, said committee president Pramod Debata.
Sohela fulfills all the criteria to become a sub-divisional headquarter. It is strategically located and many sub-divisional level offices are already functioning from the place. We are demanding a sub-divisional status for Sohela combining Bijepur, Melchhamunda and Sohela areas,” he added.
The State Government is yet to take any action, though Committee has been demanding it Sohela since long.