Markets shut, vehicles keep off the roads during daylong Maoist bandh

The daylong bandh called by the CPI(Maoist) on Thursday crippled normal life in the hinterlands.

The daylong bandh called by the CPI(Maoist) on Thursday crippled normal life in the hinterlands.

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The banned outfit had convened the bandh to protest against the killing of 15 commanders, including Lalesh Yadav, the spokesperson of the Bihar-Jharkhand North Chhattisgarh Special Area Committee (BJNCSAC) last year in March, by rival outfit, the Tritya Prastuti Committee.

However, no violent incidents were reported from any corner of the state till the time of filing the report. The Maoists had put up posters and banners in several places of the state in the past few days, asking people to boycott the polls.

Markets in Maoist-dominated areas remained shut while long-distance buses and other heavy vehicles stayed off the roads across the state. Very few private vehicles were seen plying on the national highways. A large number of inter-city buses and inter-state bus were seen parked in various depots.

Economic activities were brought to a standstill in Bermo coal belt of Bokaro district.

“Our plant did not receive coal supply from the Central Coalfields Limited mines due to the bandh. We get around 7,000 tonnes per day from the coal company,” general manager of Tenughat Thermal Power Station Ramavtar Sahu said. Police vehicles were sighted escorting private vehicles in Maoist-affected areas of the states.

A red alert was sounded by the police throughout the state in view of the bandh. All district superintendents of police (SPs) were alerted and asked to increase patrolling and combing operations in Maoist areas.