Ranchi: Jharkhand witnessed partial response
to the Maoists' 72-hour bandh on the second day today.
Offices, markets, schools and colleges remained open in
the state capital and other district towns, official sources
said.
However, vehicles, especially trucks, did not ply on the
national highways disrupting transport of minerals in East and
West Singhbum and Gumla districts, the sources said.
Normal life in rural Gumla, Khunti and Chatra was
largely affected with shops keeping their shutters down.
Several trains have been re-routed in the central
industrial chords since midnight on Saturday when the CPI
(Maoist) began their shutdown in protest against anti-Naxal
drive by the Centre.
The bandh, however, affected the state's industrial
belts, mostly located outside the towns.
"A day's bandh incurs a loss of approximately Rs 100
crore, and pushes back the progress by two months. The bandh
affects the traders, daily wagers, transporters and other
small shops. Therefore, they should stop calling bandhs," said
the Federation of Jharkhand Chamber of Commerce and
Industries, Anchal Kinger.
Maoists yesterday blew up railway tracks in Bihar's
Jamui district and killed an alleged police informer in
Orissa's Sundergarh district to enforce the bandh in five
states.
PTI
First Published: Monday, February 08, 2010, 20:40