Midnapore, May 12: Suspected Maoists in West Midnapore’s Salboni last night triggered a blast and damaged a culvert on the road connecting Midnapore town and Lalgarh.

The road is one of the two taken by joint forces to ply between Midnapore town and Lalgarh, the other being via Dherua.

District superintendent of police Manoj Verma said Maoists had triggered the blast to “hinder the movement of the joint forces”. “But it would not be a problem as we have an alternate route,” he added.

Vehicle movement on the road has not been affected by the blast as in the dry season, cars can also ply on walkways through the fields on either side of the road.

The blast came a day before a 24-hour bandh called by the People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities today to protest alleged CPM atrocities at some villages in Jungle Mahal. Shops, offices and other establishments in Jungle Mahal remained closed today because of the bandh and public transport remained off the road.

The People’s Committee has also announced they will block roads in the tribal-dominated areas in Jhargram subdivision indefinitely from tomorrow. “CPM activists are entering our villages, torturing our supporters, ransacking and looting their houses. Some of our supporters were also forced to flee their homes. The CPM goons have taken shelter in a high school in Salboni’s Sitanathpur,” Asit Mahato, a committee leader said. The outfit could also block trains and NH 6.