Assam bandh total

Guwahati, Jun 9 (UNI) The dawn-to-dusk Assam bandh, called by three separate organizations on issues ranging from petrol price hike to demanding capital punishment to Ripun Bora, evoked total response.

There was no report of any major violence in any part of the state.

The main Opposition Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), BJP and the Left parties had also given separate bandh calls to protest the price hike of petrol, diesel and LPG.

There was no vehicular traffic on the road as attendance in the state government offices was very thin. Banks, private offices as well as markets were closed.

However, commuters had a tough time as public transport remained off the road following the 'chakka jam' called by the transport bodies today against the petrol and diesel price rise.

On the other hand, the All Tea Tribes Students Association (ATTSA), in a separate bandh call, has demanded death penalty for Mr Bora for his alleged involvement in the murder of ATTSA leader Daniel Topno in September 2000.

Mr Bora was arrested in New Delhi on June three while offering bride of Rs 10 lakh to a CBI sleuth investigating the case. His bail petition was rejected today.

A report from Silchar said no shops and business establishments opened their shutters and all other government offices including banks, post offices and educational establishments were closed. All kinds of vehicular traffic were off the road during the bandh period from 5 am to 5 pm.

However, the bandh failed to evoke any response in the tea industry of the valley, which has 104 Tea Estates. Industry sources said works in the plantations and factories in the valley was normal with workers in Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi districts joining their duties.

The bandh also had no effect in other industrial sectors of the valley including Hindustan Paper Corporation's Cachar Paper Mill and ONGC's Cachar forward base. Functioning was normal in those sectors, the sources added.

Official sources said train services between Silchar and other destinations including Kumarghat, Jiribam and Bhairavi was uninterrupted.

The bandh, however, did not affect the railway and air services.

Air services in the Silchar-Kolkata-Imphal route were also normal.

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