90 percent attendance in Coal India despite Bengal strike

Coal India authorities on Thursday claimed that there was 90 percent attendance in its offices with mining operations being normal despite the strike called by opposition parties in West Bengal.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist led Left Front has called a 12-hour general strike, while the BJP gave a call for a 10-hour shutdown across the state in protest against the ruling Trinamool Congress indulging in "violence" and "electoral malpractices" in the recent civic polls.

"We had approximately 90 percent attendance today," a company official told IANS.

The official added that despite the call for a general strike, the situation remained peaceful in the state-run coal mining company.

"Nobody prevented those who wished to come from entering the (corporate) office (in Kolkata)," he said.

Coal mine operations were also reported to be normal with no untoward incident.

"Mining operations were normal across our mines today and attendance was normal there," he said.

Some central trade unions had given a call for a nationwide transport strike on Thursday, which was transformed into a 12-hour general strike in West Bengal.