Bhubaneswar, Feb 10: In response to long-standing demands that have yet to be addressed, the Umerkot Sanjaya Manch has announced a 12-hour bandh (strike) in Nabarangpur district of Odisha on Tuesday. The bandh will run from 6 am to 6 pm and will affect key areas including Umerkote, Raigarh, Jharigaon, and Chandahandi blocks.

The protestors are demanding several key issues be resolved, including granting Umerkote sub-division status, land settlement for residents, and the establishment of a medical college.

The impact of the bandh has been significant, particularly in two constituencies of the district, where protestors have set up pickets and blocked normal traffic. The demonstrators are highlighting the lack of land settlement in Umerkote since 1956, with many locals still deprived of their land records even after seven decades of independence.

The ongoing protest underscores the community's frustration with unmet demands, and the bandh has drawn attention to the need for timely action on these long-pending issues.