Andhra bandh hits Odisha road traffic

BERHAMPUR: The day-long shutdown in Andhra Pradesh on Saturday impacted the border districts of Odisha, including Ganjam and Gajapati. The opposition political parties in the neighbouring state called bandh in protest against the denial of special category status to Andhra Pradesh by the Narendra Modi government at the Centre.
The road transport to Andhra Pradesh in most of the districts in southern Odisha, including Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, Nabarangapur and Malkanagiri, was disrupted while several Andhra Pradesh-bound trucks remained stranded near the inter-state check gate at Girisola in Ganjam district.The vehicles started to ply in the evening hours.
"We suspended bus service on two routes from Berhampur via Andhra Pradesh due to the bandh," said divisional manager of the state-owned Odisha state road transport corporation (OSRTC) AK Mishra.
The routes are Berhampur to Rayagada via Srikakulam and Paralakhemundi and Berhampur to Nabarangapur via Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh, he said. Similarly, around 50% buses of OSRTC's Vizag unit were not operating due to bandh, official sources said. In Vijaz unit, the OSRTC has 50 buses.
The inter-state buses of Andhra Pradesh state road transport corporation did not come to Berhampur. The shutdown, however, did not affect the train services. The bandh organizers spared the train services from the bandh, said station manager, Berhampur railway station, DP Bramha.