As per reports, the Navnirman Krushak Sangathan (NNKS) has called for an eight-hour Odisha bandh (shutdown) from 0600 to 1400 hours (local time) on Wednesday (28 January), to protest alleged irregularities in paddy procurement, the imposition of heavy fines under the Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC) system, and alleged arbitrary actions by Tata Power over electricity tariffs.

In addition, the farmers’ organization stated that the bandh was intended to highlight the hardships faced by farmers and the general public due to administrative lapses and rising costs. During the shutdown, normal life in several parts of the state is expected to be affected.

• Following this, the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) has reportedly extended its support to the bandh, as OPCC president further stated that all district Congress committees have been instructed to support the shutdown and participate in the protest in a peaceful manner. While several public services are likely to be affected, essential services such as hospitals, ambulances, and pharmacies have been exempted from the purview of the bandh.
• Meanwhile, the Odisha unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has reportedly stated that the bandh will have no impact in the state. However, as of Tuesday (27 January), an exact confirmation that the bandh will remain entirely non-disruptive cannot be ascertained.