BHUBANESWAR: Even as the State Government has made elaborate security arrangements to prevent any untoward incident during the Bharat Bandh called by Congress against the unprecedented fuel price hike on Monday, the State leadership of the party called upon leaders and workers to ensure that there is no indiscipline and disturbances during the bandh.
President of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Niranjan Patnaik called upon the people as well as the party leaders and workers to make the nine-hour bandh from 6 am to 9 pm a success. He said emergency services including ambulance, movement of examinees, medicine shops and vehicles carrying milk have been kept out of the purview of the bandh.
Patnaik requested Speaker of the Assembly Pradip Amat to adjourn the Assembly till 3 pm in view of the bandh. He said Congress MLAs will not attend the Assembly to participate in the bandh. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and other BJD members should not attend the Assembly upto 3 pm, if the party is really against the fuel price hike, he said.
Though all schools have been directed to remain closed, Government offices will remain open and employees have been asked to reach office before 9.30 am. Buses, taxis and autos will remain off the roads during the bandh period. OPCC president flagged off four campaign vehicles for the bandh at the Congress Bhavan here.
Meanwhile, Patnaik demanded that petrol and diesel should be brought under the purview of GST to bring down the prices. “In July, 2017, Congress had demanded that petrol and diesel should be brought under the GST ambit, which would have reduced prices by `10-`15 per litre. But the BJP Government has remained indifferent towards the demand,” he said.
BJD not to support
The BJD said though it is against fuel price hike, it will not support the Bharat Bandh called by Congress. “We have been holding protests across the State since last three days to make the people aware about the price rise of petroleum products. We are not supporting the Bharat Bandh”, said BJD spokesperson Sasmit Patra. Government chief whip Amar Prasad Satpathy said business will be transacted as usual in the Assembly on Monday.
A joint venture of Cong-BJD: BJP
The BJP said there is no reason for calling a nationwide protest as hike in fuel prices is due to the rise in crude oil prices in international market and falling rupee value against US dollar. Since these factors are beyond the control of the Centre, the States should step in by reducing VAT on petrol and diesel to provide relief to the people, said state BJP vice-president Samir Mohanty.
Security tightened in Twin Cities
The Commissionerate Police has tightened the security in the Twin Cities for Bharat Bandh called by the Congress over the rising fuel prices from 6 am to 3 pm on Monday. Bhubaneswar DCP Anup Sahu informed that at least 20 platoons of police force would be deployed in the Capital City during the bandh. Besides, the security will be tightened near the Odisha Legislative Assembly as the monsoon session is going on.
“Police force have been directed to curb the incidents of tyre burning during the bandh,” Sahu said. Meanwhile, members of Nikhil Odisha Auto Taxi Chalak Mahasangha extended their support to the bandh call. “The auto and taxi services will remain suspended in the State from 6 am to 3 pm on Monday,” association’s general secretary PK Samal said.