Samrudha Orissa threatens to intensify agitation

Bhubaneswar, Jun 3 (UNI) The Samrudha Orissa (SO), a regional political outfit, today threatened to intensify its agitation against the state government's alleged failure to control the price rise, rising crime and law and order problem.

SO president Khitish Chandra Mohanty alleged that the government was trying to suppress the rights of the people to protest and hold peaceful demonstrations to cover up its own misdeeds, corruption and looting of the public money.

Mr Mohanty criticised the government for imposing prohibitory orders at 16 places in the state capital, forbiding demonstrations and meetings.

''In Nandapur block of Koraput district, police arrested ten SO activists on May 31 while they were demonstrating peacefully against the failure of the government and demanding the construction of a road in their village,'' he said.

The SO president condemnded the police action and demanded the authorities to take disciplinary action against the police officials.

Mr Mohanty said although around Rs 1,200 crore was spent during the last eight years in the undivided Koraput district, the situation had not improved at all.

''Most of the roads are not connected while most of the villages face acute drinking water problem,'' he said.

He demanded the authorities to publish a list of the development projects implemented in the area during the past eight years.

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