Bharat Bandh begins in West Bengal

A 'Bharat Bandh' called by the Congress and various opposition parties to protest a hike in fuel prices is underway in the city and the suburbs amidst strict measures by the West Bengal government.

The ruling Trinamool Congress had expressed support on the issues, including the depreciation of the rupee, but said it was against a bandh.

The Congress has called the bandh for six hours from 9 am, while the CPI(M)-led Left Front called a 12-hour bandh starting from 6 am.

Almost all schools and colleges were open with the scheduled examinations underway and the office-goers were seen rushing to office.

Train services were also normal.

A senior official of the Kolkata Traffic Police, when contacted, said all measures have been taken to ensure that normal life was not impacted by the bandh.

"We will take strict action against those who will try to hamper normal life, put up blockades, try to stop people from going to their work or open their business enterprises. We have employed enough officers for the purpose. Hope everything will be fine," he said.

Bandh supporters protested on the railway tracks at Jadavpur station which was, however, withdrawn after commuters started protesting.

Additional police personnel were deployed in the state to ensure that there was no disruption or violence in connection with the bandh call.

State transport undertakings will run more buses than usual to ensure that commuters are not inconvenienced, senior state minister Partha Chatterjee had announced Sunday.

The state government had issued a circular asking all government employees to attend office on Monday.

All the state government offices will remain open Monday and show-cause notices will be issued to the absent employees. Leave will be granted only on the grounds of hospitalisation and family bereavement, the government circular had said.