Truck owners' 24-hour bandh in Odisha’s Keonjhar against railway project

Keonjhar (Odisha): A truck owners' association in the mineral-rich Keonjhar district of Odisha began a 24-hour bandh from 6am on Monday in protest against the proposed railway project aimed at transporting minerals, a member of the association said.

The project aims at connecting Odisha Mining Corporation’s Gandhamardan Block-B mines at Suakati to Gohaldihi railway siding.

Numerous local organisations, including the private bus owners’ association, merchants’ associations, auto operators, etc., have extended their support to the bandh, he said.

All business establishments and educational institutions in the district remained shut, leading to disruptions in vehicular movement. Protesters intercepted a passenger train and two goods trains at Keonjhar railway station, sources said.

While the bandh has impacted normal life and mineral transportation in the district, emergency services have been exempted from the bandh's purview.

Debu Patnaik, the joint secretary of the Keonjhar truck owners’ association, expressed concerns over the potential unemployment among truckers if the project is implemented.

According to Patnaik, the project, if implemented, would transport iron ores via trains, adversely affecting the livelihoods of truckers and around 3-4 lakh people in the district. He urged the government to revoke the project in the best interest of the district's populace.

Additional SP Santosh Nayak said police forces have been deployed at the station, and discussions have been initiated with the protestors to withdraw the agitation, enabling passengers to proceed to their destinations without hindrance.