Remove year long road blockade, HC tells Orissa

Cuttack, Jan 6 (UNI) Expressing deep anguish over the year long road blockade on National Highway 200 near Kalinga Nagar,Orissa High Court has directed the state government to immediately remove the blockade and provide police protection to vehicles plying on the road.

In protest against the police firing which claimed lives of 13 tribals,the agitated people of Kalinga Nagar had been resorting to road blockade since January 2 last year.

On the first anniversary of the police firing on Tuesday at Rangamatia,the protestors had vowed to continue the road blockade till their nine point charter of demands is not fulfilled.

The High Court order, however, came on Friday last while adjudicating a writ petition filed by one Chamara Soy, who claimed a compensation of Rs 10 lakh from the government as his 14-year-old son died due to delay in treatment caused by the road blockade in May last year.

The court had earlier directed the state government to pay an interim compensation of Rs 10,000 to Soy in September.

A Division bench comprising Justices B P Das and M M Das directed the Jajpur Collector and Superintendent of police to take immediate steps to remove the road blockade and restore normal traffic on the national highway.

The High Court also directed the local authorities to take stringent action against the protestors who had virtually taken control of the road illegally and asked the state home secretary to file an affidavit by February 2 stating, the number of road blockades reported in the entire state during the past one year and the actions taken against the protestors.

UNI