A bandh called by Maoists in Jharkhand and adjoining areas of Orissa on Thursday evoked partial response in remote villages and semi urban places of Sundargarh district.
Shops remained closed and plying of buses to remote areas was disrupted while movement of trucks and heavy vehicles on NH-215 was also restricted.
Security was tightened and combing intensified in Saranda forest along the Orissa Jharkhand border in view of the shut-down called by Jharkhand Regional Committee of the banned CPI (Maoist) protesting a proposal to set up head quarters of India Reserve Battalion (IRB) at Khuntapani block in west Singhbhum district of Jharkhand.
Maoists are also opposing the proposed visit of Union Rural development minister Jairam Ramesh to the region and SAIL’s plan to develop small townships at some forested locations under Manoharpur police limits in Saranda along the Jharkhand-Orissa border.
Situation in Maoist prone areas of Sundargarh district remained peaceful during the bandh and no untoward incident was reported during the bandh, sources said.
However, there was no bandh impact in steel city of Rourkela, district Headquater town at Sundargarh and other towns like Biramitrapur, Rajgangpur, Banei.
The goods train service from Rourkela to Bimlagarh and Kiriburu remained normal for transportation of iron ore from mines area to Rourkela steel plant.
