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n Retired LIC employee Ramesh Das was in for a shock when he stepped out of Tatanagar station. Not a single public vehicle was in sight and the resident of Uliyan, Kadma, who came via the Kurla-Howrah Express, had to walk 1.5km in the stifling humid weather before managing to get a rickshaw at Jugsalai railway crossing
n B.K. Verma, an employee of SBI’s main branch in Bistupur, stood helpless as bandh supporters deflated the tyre of his car parked near the bank. Although the bank was closed, some employees had come to inform customers about the same
Thursday’s Bharat Bandh against the diesel price hike, LPG cap and FDI in retail dealt a crippling blow to normal life in Jamshedpur and its adjoining areas. Though there was no major law and order problem, people stayed at home, anticipating trouble, which accounted for poor turnout at offices and industrial units. Commuters suffered the most.
Buses and autos
City buses and auto-rickshaws were off roads. Long-distance buses remained stranded at the Sitaramdera terminus.
Trains
Bandh enforcers spared Tatanagar station. Trains came and left according to schedule. However, the passenger count was low. Howrah-Tata Steel Superfast Express left with barely 100-odd passengers on board. On a normal day, over 1,500 passengers take the train. Those at Rajkharsawan railway station were not that lucky with BJP supporters squatting on tracks, disrupting train services for nearly three hours. Asansol Passenger, Tata-Gua Passenger and Patna-Durg link express were delayed.
The Adityapur railway station also witnessed protests by JVM supporters. Sources said Mumbai Howrah Geetanjali Express was short terminated at Chakradharpur station while Howrah-bound Ahmedabad Express was held up for about one hour at Goilkera station. Howrah-Barbil Janshatabdi Express and Howrah-Titlagarh Ispat Express reached Tatanagar over one hour behind schedule.
Arrests
Around 262 supporters of different political parties were taken under preventive custody from near Sakchi roundabout. They were released.
Vandalism
BJP workers damaged flower pots and shattered glass panes at an ATM in Telco. Sidhgora market also witnesses unruly scenes as bandh supporters damaged eight makeshift stalls and manhandled vendors. BJP and JD(U) supporters burnt tyres at Sakchi roundabout, Agrico, Golmuri and Mango roundabout.
Business
A delegation of SCCI took out a rally from Bistupur and submitted a memorandum to deputy commissioner East Singbhum Himani Pande. Attendance was low at small and medium-scale units at Adityapur in Seraikela-Kharsawan. Losses were pegged at Rs 200 crore.
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