The 12-hour bandh observed by the Koshal Rajya Milita Karjyanushtan Committee demanding a separate ‘Koshal’ state partially affected normal life in 11 districts in the western part of Odisha on Saturday. Shops and commercial establishments remained closed in most of these 11 districts. Public transportation also came to a grinding halt with the activists of Koshal Mukti Morcha staged road blockades on the national highway and major roads. The activists press for a separate Koshal state alleging neglect to the region by the Odisha government in various fields. The shutdown remained ineffective in Sambalpur town, a major commercial hub of western Odisha, as some outfits such as Hirakhand Sammukhya and Samablpuri Bhasa Sanskruti Parishad opposed the bandh call. The bandh was total in the districts of Boudh, Sonepur, Balangir, Kalahandi, Nuapada, Sundargarh, Bargarh and parts of Sambalpur. According to police, the bandh remained peaceful and no untoward incident was reported from anywhere. Adequate security arrangements had been made by the police to prevent any major law and order situation. Though a few politicians belonging to the opposition parties from the western region extended their support for a separate Koshal state, the bandh had not seen participation of any major leader.
