12-hour bandh in Lakhanpur on Sept 22 to press for block division

Jharsuguda: The Lakhanpur Block Nagarik Parishad (LBNP) on Wednesday submitted a memorandum to Jharsuguda collector Aboli Sunil Naravane and SP Smith P Parmar, demanding that the Lakhanpur block be divided into three divisions for better governance. The outfit has also called for a 12-hour bandh on September 22 to press for the demand.According to the outfit’s memorandum, the block comprises 33 panchayats and it is one of the largest blocks in Odisha. “We have been demanding the division of the block and declaring the Lakhanpur tehsil a subdivision for decades but the government is yet to take any steps. We have submitted a memorandum time and again to CM Naveen Patnaik, 5T secretary V K Pandian, the local MP, MLA, leaders of opposition, but it was all in vain,” LBNP president Pitambar Mishra said.He added that on September 22, all government and private offices will be shut, while NH-49 will be blocked. Medical services and basic amenities will be exempted.