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India on halt: 'Bharat Bandh' throws life out of gear; banking, transport services hit

By FnF Desk | PUBLISHED: 02, Sep 2015, 15:27 pm IST | UPDATED: 02, Sep 2015, 15:27 pm IST

India on halt: 'Bharat Bandh' throws life out of gear; banking, transport services hit New Delhi: The nationwide bandh called by 10 trade unions to protest against changes in labour laws and privatisation of PSUs has badly affected normal life in parts of Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Goa.

Financial services were hit on Wednesday as lakhs of bank and insurance employees across the country began a one-day strike to protest against the anti-trade union and worker policies of the central government.

Transport services in Mumbai remain unaffected, Suburban train services, autorickshaws and BEST city buses operating normally despite the one-day nationwide strike called by central trade unions.

Delhi Transport and Labour Minister Gopal Rai says that the trade union strike in the national capital was organised by BJP workers to divert the attention of the people from the strike of All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) strike.

Normal life affected in Assam with railway tracks blocked at several places, private buses off the roads and banks remaining closed in response to the nationwide one-day strike called by ten central trade unions, official sources said.

The day-long nationwide strike called by central trade unions affected normal life in Karnataka and Goa.

In Goa state-run Kadamba Transport Corporation Ltd (KTCL) buses remained off the roads.

Karnataka government transport workers have joined the strike objecting to the proposed motor bill as buses and autorickshaws kept off the roads causing inconvenience to office-goers and those travelling to far-off places.

Unions in State Bank of India (SBI) and Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) are not participating in the strike.

The Congress launches an attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government, saying that it has lost its credibility and so a nationwide labour strike has been called.

Congress leader Pramod Tiwari says, "Modi Government's base has fallen. Nobody is trusting him (PM Modi). Even, Soldiers, labourers, as well as farmers are not ready to trust this government. It seems he has lost the credibility."

The strike called by the trade unions have affected transport and banking services in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. 18,000 buses in the two states have went off the roads.

Public sector banks are closed in Hyderabad and other parts of Telangana and all cities and towns in Andhra as employees joined the strike. Coal production in state-owned Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) in Telangana has also been affected.

Employees of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, HPCL, Ship Yard and other public sector undertakings have also joined the strike.

Violence reported in West Bengal's Murshidabad, Howrah and North 24 Parganas. Educational institutions and commercial establishments are largely closed in Kolkata. The Trinamool Congress and CPI(M) members clash in Murshidabad. Police resorts to lathicharge to control the situation.
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