New Delhi/Kolkata/Mumbai/Chennai, Sep 19: Normal life in most of the states is likely to be hit on Thursday because of the Bharat Bandh call given by the BJP-led NDA and the Left Front separately to protest the hike in diesel prices and a cap on subsidized LPG cylinders.
BJP-ruled states like Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Chhatisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Akali Dal-ruled Punjab, JD(U)-ruled Bihar, BJD-ruled Odisha and SP-ruled Uttar Pradesh are likely to be affected by the dawn-to-dusk strike.
In West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura, normal services may be disrupted as the Left Front has given the bandh call.
In Mumbai and Pune, with the Ganeshotsav going on and the Shiv Sena and MNS deciding to stay away from bandh, the impact of the bandh call is expected to be minimal.
In Delhi, the BJP is making preparations to bring the wheels to a halt, though Delhi Police has made massive preparations to stop BJP activists from stopping buses and other vehicles.
In Kolkata, despite West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee's threat not to allow “forcible” bandh, normal life is going to be hit with the Left Front activists trying to enforce a shutdown.
Bangalore: Security has been beefed up across Karnataka for the one-day bandh. While two companies of Central paramilitary forces would arrive soon to beef up security in the state, about 17,000 personnel and nearly 30 platoons of Karnataka State Reserve Police and City Armed Reserve would patrol the city, Assistant Commissioner of Police Sunil Kumar told reporters here.
Police would videograph protests to identify mischief mongers and bring them to book, he said, adding more police personnel would be deployed in sensitive areas.
Though government has not declared a holiday, schools and colleges would take a decision on working depending on the situation, Kumar said.
The Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences has postponed tomorrow's examinations as a precautionary measure.
Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation and Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation have decided to operate their services.
However BMRCL sources said they would be forced to stop ‘Namma Metro' services if some untoward incident occurs. Autorickshaws drivers have said their vehicles would be off the roads tomorrow.
Guwahati: Assam government today issued a notification to ensure normal functioning and attendance in all government offices and undertakings in the state in view of tomorrow's Bharat bandh.
All district and sub-divisional authorities have been directed to take necessary measures to ensure normal functioning of all state government offices, including transport and power during the bandh period, an official release said here.
Employees who absent themselves from duty tomorrow will be treated as unauthorisedly absent and appropriate action like pay-cut, break in service, liability for disciplinary actions among others shall be taken.
All heads of offices and departments have been further instructed to deduct pay and allowances for unauthorized absence from office and duty tomorrow and to initiate disciplinary action for such unauthorized absence.
