12-hour Cuttack bandh throws normal life out of gear

Normal life was disrupted in the city due to a dawn-to-dusk bandh called by several organisations demanding inclusion of Cuttack in the Centre's proposed 'Smart City' project.
The supporters of the 12-hour bandh who came under the banner of Cuttack Bachao (Save Cuttack) Committee, accused the BJD government in Odisha of attempting to belittle Cuttack's claim for the Smart City project of the Union Urban Development Ministry.
While several political parties extended moral support to the shut-down, puja committees of different localities and commercial bodies extended their tacit support to the bandh.
However, some government schools, offices and courts in the city remained open, but reported thin attendance.

Banking and insurance companies also downed their shutters. Road transportation was disrupted as public and private vehicles stayed off the roads. The Inter-State bus terminus at Badambadi wore a deserted look, police said.
From early morning, bandh supporters hit the roads urging people to join their cause for the pride of the city.

Normal traffic on National Highway was hit as bandh supporters squatted at Madhupatna square. Taking out motorcycle rallies and processions, the activists urged shop owners to down their shutters.
While at least 30 persons were taken under preventive custody and later released on bail, no untoward incident was reported from any place during the bandh, police said.

Bandh supporters threatened they would resort to hunger strike if the state government failed to make a fresh recommendation to the Centre without keeping any ambiguity in the case of Cuttack city.