IT sector apart, strike evokes total response in Bengal

Kolkata, Dec 14 (UNI) West Bengal virtually remained isolated from rest of the nation today with the Left trade unions-sponsored nationwide 24-hour strike bringing life to a standstill in every field, but Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's dream IT sector stood apart.

Mr Bhattacharrjee said functioning in the state's IT industry was ''more than normal'' as employees participated in work.

Even though CITU did not exempt the sector from the purview of the strike, Mr Bhattacharjee had assured that the government would make all arrangements to keep work bustling in IT - and it happened so, barring in a few cases.

'' The functioning in IT industry is more than normal, '' he said.

The chief minister's statement, however, contradicted the claim of Transport Minister Subhash Chakraborty, who said most of the employees in the sector had joined the strike.

While IT Minister Debesh Das supported Mr Bhattacharjee, saying normal work had been reported from the city's Salt Lake sector five, CITU state president Shyamal Chakraborty also admitted that it was ''apparently normal''.

But Transport Minister Subhash Chakraborty contradicted his statement, saying many IT employees participated in the strike.

The state remained cut-off by road, rail and air from rest of the country as all modes of transport were immobilised denying anybody to leave or arrive.

Claiming that the strike was ''total and spontaneous'', Mr Shyamal Charkaborty said employees and workers in the state and central governement offices, banks, insurance companies, factories, coal mines, tea gardens, railways, airports and ports took part in it.

''It was a spontaneous strike. All sections of working people participated in it and no force was used, '' he said.

Home Secretary Prasad Ranjan Ray said 25 people had been arrested from different parts of the state on charge attempting forceful closure during today's strike.

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