Rourkela: Lawyers on Saturday staged a two-hour roadblock on the Brahmani bridge here, making the city inaccessible from rest of west Odisha and beyond.

The Bar Association of Rourkela staged a protest on the final day of its strike, demanding a permanent high court bench in this part of the state. The lawyers demand beginning of the construction of Brahmani bridge, that of a barrage over the Koel river and setting up of a super-specialty hospital in the city.

Schools, colleges, buses and ambulances were exempted from the strike. Scores of long distance buses, trucks, and other four-wheelers were, however, found stranded on either side of the bridge. Only the two-wheelers were allowed to ply through the roadblock.

A truck driver said: "Had I known about the roadblock I wouldn't have come this way on Saturday." Another car driver said: "Why shall we be in trouble for you all? But, who cares?"

Many lawyers could be spotted on the Panposh crossing. A lawyer said: "We are also concerned about the common people, and the fight is for them."

He said: "How can the government remain so casual towards our just demands?"

The association's general secretary Akshaya Sahu said: "We have raised three major demands and those cannot be neglected or left alone by the government."

Sahu felt that there was no concern for the place, for which the lawyers thought it wise to stage an agitation. "I want to make it clear that this is not going to stop here. We will take it to its logical conclusion," said Sahu.

He also said that by March 31 the association would discuss and decide on their future course of action.