Trains, bus services hit in Jharkhand amid Maoist strike

Nine trains were cancelled, bus services were hit and trucks were stranded in several parts of Jharkhand on the first day of a two-day Maoist shutdown in three states today, officials said.

Nine trains were cancelled, bus services were hit and trucks were stranded in several parts of Jharkhand on the first day of a two-day Maoist shutdown in three states on Monday, officials said.

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"As a precaution we have cancelled nine trains and some have been rescheduled," KS Upadhyaya, the divisional railway manager of Dhanbad railway division, told IANS over telephone.

The cancelled trains include the Palamau Express and seven passenger trains. The seven trains diverted include the Hatia and New Delhi Express.

Vehicular traffic was also badly hit. No long-route buses plied and trucks were stranded in different places. The highways were deserted.

The Communist Party of India-Maoist has called the two-day strike in Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal to protest against the arrest of two key Maoists in Bihar.