The bandh called by the Left and Congress trade unions against a number of policies of the Central Government found mixed response in Bengal.Even as the State Government issued directives making attendance compulsory a day before most of the Government offices witnessed near full attendance.
In other sectors like jute mills and other industrial belts of Durgapur-Asansol there was partial cease work, sources said. Half-empty Government buses were seen plying on the streets while private buses were far less in number in Kolkata.
Though there was rush in Howrah and Sealdah stations local train services got disrupted after the bandh supporters blockaded the tracks at various places in Hooghly, Burdwan, Jadavpur and other places.
Bandh found good response in Siliguri, Alipurduar and Coochbehar where buses were torched. Tea gardens however functioned near normally sources said adding all the banks and financial institutions were shut down hitting business and leading to a corresponding shut down in the business districts of burrabazar and parts of Howrah.
CPI(M) politburo member Biman Bose later claimed that the bandh was successful “considering the fact that both the Trinamool Government and the BJP united against us to foil it by using the government machinery and the police. This only proves that they are involved in ashadow fight.”
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee however said that her party never supported bandh as a policy.