Oct. 11: Ahead of their two-day bandh in Jharkhand and Bihar, Maoists damaged approach roads to a culvert on NH-75 in Palamau, disrupting traffic on the busy highway throughout the day.

Superintendent of police Jatin Narwal said that the rebels did not use any explosive. “They removed soil from both ends of the culvert, using earth-movers, and made the road inaccessible,” he said.

The incident took place at Bavandi village, about 350km from Ranchi, under Hariharganj police station in Palamau district in the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday.

Sources said movement of vehicles between Aurangabad in Bihar and Daltonganj had stopped, making the Maoist bandh “success” even before it started.

The rebels have called the bandh to protest against the Centre’s decision to use paramilitary forces against them in the states.

Several rebel posters — targeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Union home minister P. Chidambaram and AICC chairperson Sonia Gandhi — were also found in Tamar in Ranchi district today.

Director-general of police V.D. Ram said proper security arrangements had been made to avoid any untoward incident during the bandh. “Forces have been deployed at strategic locations,” he said.

The railways have decided to change the routes of some long-distance trains, including the Tata-Jammu-Tawi Express, on the bandh days.

GRP has also taken necessary measures to ensure that train services remained unaffected. Richard Lakra, the superintendent railway police at Tatanagar, said that they had already begun track patrollingin the Chakradharpur railway division.

Lakra said that the GRP was in constant touch with the Railway Protection Force and district police for necessary maintaining co-ordination.

Additional director-general of police (railways) Kumud Choudhary said instructions had been issued to provide security to trains passing through rebel zones.

East Singhbhum superintendent of police Naveen Kumar Singh claimed that the security arrangement at Naxalite-hit areas in the district would be foolproof and the administration would ensure that the lives and properties even in the red zones were safe.

“Additional paramilitary forces have been brought in for deployment at sensitive areas. We will also provide necessary security cover to the convoy of commercial vehicles on national highways,” Singh added.