Bhubaneswar, July 7: Residents of Kushamti and Chhanaghar villages in Jatani staged a road blockade on the Jatani-HPCL-IOCL Road on Monday, demanding immediate repair of the severely damaged concrete road.
The protest was led by Jatani MLA Bibhuti Bhusan Balabantaray, who alleged that the road has deteriorated due to the daily movement of hundreds of heavy Petrol, diesel, and LPG tankers serving the HPCL and IOCL facilities in the area.
The blockade disrupted traffic for several hours, leaving hundreds of trucks carrying petrol, diesel, and LPG stranded along the route during the morning.
Addressing the protesters, Balabantaray demanded that the damaged road be repaired without delay. He warned that villagers would not allow vehicular movement on the stretch unless the plant authorities provided a firm commitment to undertake repair work at the earliest.
The MLA stated that the road was originally constructed jointly by HPCL and IOCL for their operational requirements and said the companies should take responsibility for its maintenance. He added that if necessary, steps could be taken to ensure the road is restored for public use.
Chhanaghar Sarpanch Subhasini Biswal accused the companies of neglecting local development needs. She alleged that HPCL and IOCL have failed to adequately contribute to the welfare of nearby villages through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.
Social Activist Prasann Subudhi said the road becomes particularly hazardous during the monsoon season, with large potholes developing across the stretch. He claimed that accidents occur frequently due to the poor condition of the road, but the companies have not taken adequate measures to address the issue.
Several local representatives and social activists, including Bapi Rautray, Subhashis Parida, Jayant Sahoo, Mona Behera, Mohan Das, Kalu Rautray, Bira Kishor Barik,Tagudu Sahoo,Tukula Mohaptra and others joined the demonstration and reiterated the demand for immediate repair of the road.
The protest ended after nearly two hours when HPCL Manager Annish Ranjan Deb and officials from IOCL reached the site and assured villagers that the damaged road would be repaired with concrete at the earliest.
