Markets shut, roads blocked as Bharat Bandh affects life in Jharkhand

Vehicular movement was disrupted in several parts of Jharkhand on Monday as supporters of the Bharat Bandh blocked roads and highways.

Shops were shut in state capital Ranchi, while government offices and banks functioned as usual.

In Ramgarh district, protesters blocked the Ranch-Patna highway and Ramgarh-Bokaro highway for some time, disrupting traffic, Superintendent of Police Prabhat Kumar told PTI.

Coal production at various mines of the Central Coalfields Ltd remained normal, but dispatch via road was affected due to blockades, said Amresh Singh, general manager, Banka-Sayal area.

The construction work of NTPC-JV super thermal power project in Ramgarh was unaffected, said Sabastin Joseph, General Manager (HR) of Patratu Vidyut Utpadan Ltd.

The shutdown had a major impact in the Chatra district with coal transportation at Tandwa and Piparwar getting affected. Bandh supporters staged a massive demonstration outside the NTPC project in the district.

Several roads in the district were blocked by JMM, CPI, RJD and Congress workers, leading to congestion on the highways.

Markets remained closed in Dumka, while bandh supporters blocked roads in several areas.

In Sahibganj, most of the commercial establishment remained closed, while agitators blocked the National Highway-80.

Palamu saw a partial impact of the 10-hour bandh. JMM supporters protested at the Dr Rajendra Prasad roundabout.

No untoward incident was reported from any part of the district, Palamu's Superintendent of Police Chandan Kumar Sinha told PTI.

The bandh, called by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha in protest against the three farm laws, did not have much impact in Lohardaga, while in Garhwa, public transport was affected.

In Giridih, JMM, Congress, RJD and CPI(M) were seen forcing shops to down their shutters.

Several roads were blocked in Godda, while bandh supporters staged a demonstration at Kargil Chowk.

The shutdown had a minimum impact on Hazaribag and Dhanbad.

The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) had earlier urged the ruling coalition, led by JMM, to withdraw its support from the bandh, maintaining that the business community was already hardly hit by the COVID-related lockdown.

The three laws -- The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020 -- were passed by Parliament in September last year.

Farmer groups have alleged that these laws will end the 'mandi' and the MSP procurement systems and leave the farmers at the mercy of big corporates. The government has rejected these apprehensions as misplaced and asserted that these steps will help increase farmer income.