Strike isolates Bengal from nation

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

Kolkata, Dec 14: West Bengal remained virtually cut-off from the rest of the nation today as the countrywide 24-hour strike brought life to a grinding halt.

However, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharrjee said functioning of the state's IT industry was ''more than normal'' as employees participated in work.

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

The state remained isolated by road, rail and air as all modes of transport were immobilised, prohibiting anybody to leave or arrive.

Claiming that the strike was ''total and spontaneous'', CITU state president 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.

Mr Chakraborty, however, admitted that the working in the IT hub in the city's Salt Lake Sector Five was ''apparently normal'' with offices making arrangements for overnight stay of their employees.

To a question on the disruption of normal life, the Chief Minister reported, ''You better ask those who have done this.'' The strike was called by the National Platform of Mass Organisations (NPMO), a combine of 56 organisations, including seven Central Trade Unions, in protest against the UPA Government's ''anti-people'' policies and to press for a 16-point charter of demands.

Home Secretary Prasad Ranjan Ray said barring a few stray minor incidents, no report of any untoward incident had been received from anywhere so far.

The state Government had thrown a massive security umbrella to maintain law and order and help those willing to work, he said.

The state Secretariat at the Writers' Buildings wore a deserted look with many employees being absent from duty.

While only the Chief Minister and Transport Minister Subhash Chakraborty attended office, a handful of top bureaucrats, the Ministers, could not be present because of their drivers joining the strike.

All shops and markets, educational institutions and commercial establishments remained closed, while no Government and private vehicle was out on the streets and water transport also did not operate.

The strike totally disrupted train services from Howrah and Sealdah stations and in the city's underground railway system, while no flights, barring those carrying Haj pilgrims, took off or arrived at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport.

All employees and workers were also absent in banks and insurance offices.

No attendance by officers and employees had been reported from both Kolkata and Haldia ports and zero attendance was reported in the state's coal mines and tea gardens.

With the strike casting an impact on the industry, factory gates remained closed in the industrial areas of Barrackpore, Durgapur and Hooghly, while farmers and agricultural workers also stayed away from the fields. CPI(M) frontal wing CITU, a major constituent of the NPMO, worked overtime to make the strike a success with support from the ruling Left Front Government.

Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Raj Kanojia said extra forces had been deployed all over the state with special thrust on guarding vital installations, highways, bridges.

Strong contingents of policemen had been posted in some sensitive areas, including the Naxalite-affected districts and Darjeeling, he added.

Police Commissioner Prasun Mukherjee said about 5,000 policemen had been put on duty in the city. While forces had been posted everywhere, including important areas, the number of radio flying squads had been increased for constant monitoring of the law and order situation.

'' There is an order on the policemen on duty to act against any obstruction to the people willing to work. However, we have not received any such complaint so far, '' he said.

Railway authorities said no trains left Howrah and Sealdah station since this morning, while a number of long distance trains coming to Kolkata were detained at different points since the bandh began at 0600 hrs.

Following an appeal by the CITU to spare passengers from the hassle being stranded at airport on the day of the strike, authorities of both Government and private airlines cancelled all the flights to and from the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport.

Although Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee ordered all arrangements to ensure that willing people could go to their work places, transport workers in the Government and private sector did not join duty, making it impossible for anybody to venture out.

UNI

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