Bandh in 10 Odisha districts demanding separate Koshal state

Sambalpur: Alleging gross negligence towards the western region of Odisha, two organisations observed a 12-hour bandh on Wednesday in at least 10 districts demanding a separate Koshal state, affecting normal life. The development has prompted the opposition BJP and the Congress to come down heavily on the state’s BJD government accusing it of failing to address the regional imbalance in Odisha. The people staying at a distance from the state capital have developed an impression that they are neglected. The feeling of these people is genuine. The BJD government during its 22 years has done nothing to make them happy, Leader of the Opposition JN Mishra of BJP said. Mishra is a lawmaker of Sambalpur in western Odisha. Congress Legislature Party leader Narasingha Mishra, who hails from western Odisha’s Bolangir district, said: I am opposed to the idea of a separate state, but strongly demand that the government remove regional imbalance and economic disparity. Leaving a few places, the entire western region of the state is grossly neglected. However, Water Resources Minister Tukuni Sahu, who too hails from western Odisha, said: The chief minister during his 22-year rule has never neglected anyone or any region. Whenever we have gone to him with certain problems in the western region, those have been solved. Now also, if there is any matter, it can be addressed, Meanwhile, the bandh called by Koshal Raej Mukti Morcha (KMM) and Koshal Sena affected normal life in many parts of Western Odisha. Government and private offices, courts, educational institutions, banks and financial institutions, shops and markets remained closed while buses were off the road due to the bandh in the districts of Bargarh, Balangir, Sonepur, Nuapda and Kalahandi. However, the impact of the bandh was negligible in Jharsuguda, Deogarh and Sundargarh districts. KMM president Sagar Charan Das claimed that the state government has always ignored this region. While the area from Malkangiri to Sundergarh contributes immensely to the development of the state, this region has remained neglected for the last 70 years. They (government) always played with our emotions and sentiment. A separate state is the only solution, he said. However, there was no impact of the bandh in Sambalpur district. Many social and cultural organisations have appealed to the people of the district not to take part in the protest. Sambalpur-based organisation Hirakhand Samukhya supported the demand for a separate state but is opposed to words such as Koshal’ and Koshali’. It is a part of a conspiracy to undermine the word Sambalpuri’. The bandh has been called opposing the regional imbalance and economic disparity. We admit that there is regional discrimination. Separate statehood is a genuine demand. But our (Sambalpur) identity, dignity, language and culture come first for us, which is known as Sambalpuri," said Deepak Panda, vice-president of Hirakhand Samukhya. However, the bandh was successful in the Kuchinda subdivision of Sambalpur district.

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