Bhubaneswar News Roundup — 9 October 2026

Bhubaneswar experienced a day of significant disruption on October 8 as the INDIA bloc's 12-hour Odisha Bandh brought road and rail traffic to a standstill, while Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced the waiver of ground rent for puja committees across the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation area ahead of the festive season.

🗳️ Odisha Bandh Paralyses Bhubaneswar as Congress and INDIA Bloc Hit Streets

Normal life in the Odisha capital was severely disrupted on October 8 as the Congress Party, backed by parties of the INDIA bloc, observed a 12-hour Odisha Bandh that brought key parts of Bhubaneswar to a standstill. Congress workers and supporters staged road blockades at multiple locations across the city, forcing shops and business establishments to down shutters and bringing vehicular traffic to a near-halt in many areas. The situation grew most tense at the Bhubaneswar Railway Station, where Congress and All India Forward Bloc workers attempted to launch a Rail Roko protest, threatening to disrupt train services. Police and Railway Protection Force personnel intervened in force, preventing protesters from accessing the railway tracks and turning them back. Senior Congress leader Sura Routray was present at the railway station, where heated confrontations were witnessed between security forces and agitators. An autorickshaw carrying a patient was reportedly attacked during the bandh, with its windshield damaged — an incident that drew sharp criticism. The Deccan Chronicle reported that transport and mining operations across Odisha were heavily impacted, while Hindusthan Samachar noted that hundreds of leaders and workers were detained in Bhubaneswar alone. The INDIA bloc claimed the bandh as a success, citing broad participation; the ruling establishment disputed the extent of the shutdown. [6]

🪔 CM Majhi Waives Ground Rent for Puja Committees Across Bhubaneswar

In a gesture of festive goodwill ahead of the major autumn celebration season, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced a waiver of ground rent for puja committees organising religious and cultural events across the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation area. The announcement, reported by Prameya News on October 8, 2026, is intended to ease the financial burden on the large number of community-run committees that set up pandals, host cultural programmes, and organise public celebrations during this period. Puja festivals — particularly Durga Puja and Laxmi Puja — are among the most important and widely observed celebrations in Odisha, attracting enormous community participation in Bhubaneswar and across the state. Puja committees play a central organisational role, coordinating decorations, idol installation, priest services, and public events over multiple days of celebration. Ground rent for public land used to erect pandals and stage events can represent a significant cost, especially for smaller neighbourhood committees with limited fundraising capacity. By waiving this charge, Chief Minister Majhi's administration sought to ensure celebratory activities can proceed without financial constraints affecting the scale or quality of community observances. The decision was welcomed by community organisers across the city, who noted it would allow committees to direct resources toward cultural programming, idol craftsmanship, and lighting — making this festive season more accessible and vibrant for all of Bhubaneswar's residents. [2]

Sources: [6] KalingaTV · [2] prameyanews.com