Congress sponsored bandh paralyses normal life in Western Orissa

Normal life was paralysed in western Orissa today amid disruption of train and bus services and closure of shops, business establishments, educational institutions and offices during a Congress sponsored bandh to protest death of two students at Balangir.
   
Functioning of courts was also affected as lawyers boycotted work in support of the shut-down in nine districts in the region called by state Congress student wing to protest alleged police excesses, while BJP also backed the bandh in several places including Sambalpur.
  
The bandh was called in protest against death of two students. While one died after being knocked down by a police van on Friday at Balangir, another was killed in subsequent violence and police action, police sources said.
  
With bandh supporters blocking railway tracks at various places three trains were cancelled in Sambalpur and around five others stranded at Brajrajnagar, Jharsuguda and Bargarh, railway sources said.
  
A large number of vehicles were also stranded due to blockade of NH-42, NH-6 and other important roads. Road traffic virtually came to a grinding halt in most places of districts like Balangir, Sambalpur, Bargarh, Jharsuguda, Sonepur, Deogarh, Sundargarh, Nuapada and Kalahandi.