Bhubaneswar, April 9: The state government today restricted access to the social networking sites in Bhadrak town and surrounding areas for 48 hours starting from 7pm today.

Tension had gripped the town last Thursday after a group of people took exception to some remarks posted on a social networking website. They obstructed traffic on the national highway between Cuttack and Calcutta, which passes through the city. Following this, two groups clashed in the town forcing the police to impose curfew on Friday.

The state crime branch today also started a probe to identify the people who spread hate messages on the Internet that only escalated the tension. Chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi has asked the home department and the crime branch to take stringent action against mischief mongers.

Normality was restored in the town on Sunday and the district administration relaxed the prohibitory orders from 8am to 12noon to enable resident to purchase essential commodities. However, Section 144 will continue to be in force till 7am on Monday as a precaution. The district administration has also decided to keep educational institutes in the town closed on Monday.

The district authorities today set up a control room to help the residents and started a toll-free number - 1077 - for the residents of the violence-hit town. Another helpline - 06784-251881 - has also been introduced.

Crime branch officials said the cyber cell would trace IP addresses to identify the people who had posted the inflammatory remarks on the social networking site.

Bhadrak police superintendent Dilip Kumar Das said the situation was under control and no untoward incident was reported today.

"One of the main accused who had posted the indecent remark has already been arrested," said Das.