JEYPORE: Taking serious note of three road blockades at various places in Koraput district on Friday, the police administration on Saturday warned serious action against the protesters and urged public not to block highways.
Speaking to mediapersons, police officials said more protestors will be arrested in this connection and warned the public not to block roads particularly highways in future as the department would take stern action against them.
The district police on Saturday booked 154 persons from Jeypore, Sunabeda and Damanjodi areas for blocking the roads.
On Friday, the Visakhapatnam-Raipur NH-26 stretch passing through district was blocked by locals at Rondapalli Chowk under Jeypore Sadar police limits and Sunabeda following two road accidents. The vehicular traffic was disrupted over eight hours due to the blockades.
Passengers in long-route buses and passersby had to bear the brunt as the agitators put barricades burning tires on the NH despite the presence of police. Even the ambulance vehicles were diverted due to the road blockades putting the patients life in the risk. The agitators were demanding immediate compensation for the victim families.
In another road blockade on the day, Nalco land losers stopped vehicular movement on the mining roads at Damanjodi seeking jobs in the company. The agitation also affected normal lives in the area.
On the other hand, some commuters took to Twitter to vent their frustration over police inaction in vacating the road blockades and demanded intervention of senior officials of the State Government.
Meanwhile, locals have demanded immediate repair of the 23-km stretch of the NH from Jeypore to Borrigumma. They alleged that the stretch has been damaged owing to movement of large number of heavy vehicles.