12-Hour Bandh Underway As State Govt Fails to Declare Padampur A District

Bargarh, Jan 16: Normal life has come to a standstill in the Padampur area because of a 12-hour bandh called by the Zilla Milita Kriyanushtana Committee over the State government's negligence in according district status to Padampur, a sub-division of Bargarh district.

Because of the shutdown, the vehicular movement has been stopped and schools, colleges and offices have remained closed.

"The State Government has assured us that Padampur will be declared a district by December 2023. But no action has been taken in this regard yet," rued agitators.

They demanded that Padampur be given the district status without delay as the code of conduct for general elections is likely to be enforced at any time.

It may be noted that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had announced during the Assembly by-poll last year that Padampur will be made a district soon. When the demand mounted post the by-poll, the Chief Minister made it clear that the process had started and Padampur would be declared a district by December.