Bandh hits life in Orissa

Bhubaneswar, Jun 6 (UNI) The 12-hour dawn-to-dusk bandh, called by the Left parties in protest against the hike in prices of petrol, diesel and LPG, partially affected life in Orissa.

Traffic came to a grinding halt on all the national highways across the state while, banks, insurances offices and business establishments remained closed at many places following picketing by bandh demonstrators.

Train services were also affected as the bandh supporters squatted on the tracks at various stations forcing the East Coast Railway (ECoR) authority to control, short terminate many long distance trains and cancel some passenger trains.

Thousands of party activists belonging to the CPI, CPI(M), Forward Bloc, SUCI, JMM and Samajwadi Party courted arrest at various places in protest against the hike in prices of fuel and LPG.

However, all public sector undertakings like the NALCO, NTPC, Mahanadi Coal Field Limited (MCL), Rourkela Steel Plant and Paradip Port besides private industries functioned normal. The attendance in government offices was also normal, official sources claimed.

Private bus operators preferred not to ply their vehicles apprehending violence and trouble.

Sources said the bandh was more visible in Keonjhar, Gajapati, Koraput and Sundargarh district while there was no impact in most of the naxalite affected districts in the state.

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