In Odisha, normal life has been badly affected amid disruption of train and road traffic and closure of shops due to a 12-hour state-wide bandh call given by main opposition party Congress today against alleged police crackdown on partymen during an anti-government rally at Bhubaneswar on 6th of this month. More than a dozen trains have been stopped at several railway stations including Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Khurda Road, Berhampur and Sambalpur as bandh supporters staged dharna on the tracks. Vehicular movement virtually came to a grinding halt in many parts of the state as passenger buses, trucks and auto-rickshaws remained off the roads.A large number of passengers are being seen stranded at railway stations and bus stands at many places, while roads wore a deserted look during the dawn-to-dusk shut-down. Schools, colleges and other educational institutions also remained shut in most areas.Hundreds of Congress supporters including PCC president Niranjan Patnaik and many other senior party leaders have been taken into custody in places like Bhubaneswar, Rourkela and Cuttack while picketing near government offices and other places to enforce the bandh.Elaborate security arrangements have been made by the police with heavy deployment of force throughout the state to prevent any untoward incident during the shut-down. The situation has been peaceful so far and no untoward incident has been reported from any part of the state.In the state capital Bhubaneswar, about 51 platoons of force have been deployed at different places while strict vigil is maintained near government buildings, vital installations and other sensitive locations.