Karnataka bandh today: For many office-goers, students it’s an extended weekend

The Karnataka bandh on Monday means extended weekend for many office-goers and students.

Bengaluru, June 12: While the policemen are breaking their heads over arranging security measures across Karnataka, for many the state-wide bandh on Monday has come as an extended weekend.

Although the government and private offices, including IT companies, are going to remain open today in Bengaluru, office-goers might be forced to skip their work due to non-availability of transport facilities.

While both the BMTC and KSRTC buses, autos and cab services will remain operational, private vehicle owners are not too willing to venture on the road on a bandh day. Authorities clarified that they would take a call on plying of vehicles on roads depending on the situation.

The dusk-to-dawn bandh has been called by pro-Kannada organisations under the group called Kannada Okoota, demanding the implementation of Mahadayi project and permanent solution for water problems in North Karnataka. The leaders of the pro-Kannada groups have warned that they would resort to violence in case the bandh was not implemented.

A lot of confusion surrounds regarding functioning of schools and colleges across the city. "The decision on keeping schools and colleges open has been left to the jurisdictional deputy commissioners," primary and secondary education minister Tanveer Sait said.

Due to bandh, some exams of Bangalore University for post-graduate students have been postponed.

Visvesvaraya Technological University postponed its eighth-semester theory exams and will announce the rescheduled date shortly.

Exams conducted by Karnataka State Secondary Education Examinations Board for D Ed/D.EI and others have been postponed to June 13. Deputy Commissioner of Bengaluru Urban district, V Shankar, said that no holidays have been declared for schools and colleges.

However, many parents don't want to take the risk of sending their wards to schools and colleges. Sona Kar, a mother of a five-year-old child, said that she was not going to send her son to school as she don't know what would be the situation later in the day.

"I have been trying to reach to the management of the school if it's a holiday today. However, they did not answer my calls. I am not sending my son to school to avoid any risk," added Sona.

The state police department has assured that there was no need to worry as adequate security has been arranged in the city to avoid any untoward incident.

Software engineer Amol Bhatnagar decided to extend his holiday in a resort in Coorg after he came to know about the bandh.

"I was planning to leave for Bengaluru on late Sunday night to attend my office on Monday. I decided otherwise as there is a bandh, and now I will go back to Bengaluru on Monday night," he said.

OneIndia News