Koraput: A 12-hour bandh in Koraput, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri, and Rayagada districts affected normal life in the region, today. The bandh has been called by the Joint Action Committee and the Koraput District Youth Congress to press the demand for government job recruitment on district basis.

Various local associations have extended their support to the dawn-to-dusk bandh.

Public transport and goods vehicles remained off the roads, while shops, business establishments, and educational institutions stayed closed for the day. Long queues of stranded trucks were seen lining both sides of the National Highway in the region.

The protesters are demanding that local youths be prioritized for government jobs in the region. They claimed that many youths from outside the district secure jobs in Koraput but leave after working for two to three years.

"How can teachers, unfamiliar with the local tribal language and culture, effectively teach students here?" asked a supporter of the bandh.

The Joint Action Committee has vowed to continue the protest until the state government ensures local appointments in the undivided Koraput district.