Maoist bandh disrupts rail, road traffic in south Orissa

Rail and road services were disrupted in several parts of Orissa as the two-day nation wide bandh, called by the Maoists in protest against the death of a top Naxal leader, began on Wednesday.

State-run bus service was suspended in the Maoist-hit south Orissa districts like Koraput, Malkangiri, Rayagada, Kandhamal and Gajapati as a precautionary measure, while the private bus operators preferred not to ply their vehicles in these routes.

The railway authorities also cancelled and short terminated some of the trains in East Coast Railways jurisdiction, particularly in south Orissa’s Koraput-Rayagada line.

The industrial and mining units in the Maoist infested areas however had their normal operation, sources said. Tight security arrangements were made to guard industrial and mining units, including Nalco’s Damanjodi alumina refinery and HAL’s Sunabeda plant, located in south Orissa. The bandh had little impact in urban areas though shops and business establishments remained closed in rural pockets of Malkangiri, Gajapati, Koraput, Rayagada, police said.

The ultras blocked the roads by felling trees in Kalimela area of Malkangiri district and several areas in Kandhamal district. No untoward incident was reported from any part of the area, a senior police official said.