KMC puts up hoardings discouraging Sept 2 bandh

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has put up hoardings all over the city asking people to keep offices and shops open and assured every cooperation to them. The Left trade unions have called a country-wide bandh on September 2 and the Left Front has organised street corners meetings and rallies urging people to observe the bandh that has been called to protest against the anti people policy of the Centre.

It may be recalled that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said in the Assembly that the state government would not support the bandh and steps would be taken to keep the offices open. “We have seen how CPI(M) had crippled the state’s economy by calling frequent  bandhs in its 34 years of rule. We are against bandhs and the state government will oppose it,” she said. The state government has decided to deduct a day’s salary for those who will not turn up for work.

The hoardings put up by KMC reads: Keep shops and markets and offices open. Let transport ply normally. The state government will stand by you and KMC will provide every cooperation.

Mayor Sovan Chatterjee said meetings were being held with the shopkeepers and they were being requested to keep the shops and markets open. The state government has decided to ply buses and requested private operators to ply them. The Chief Minister announced that the state government would give compensation if the vehicles got damaged by the bandh mongers and those doing this would be booked. Requests have also been made to the unions looking after taxis and mini buses.

A senior state government official said it was fully prepared to foil the bandh. The offices would be kept open and employees had been asked to report on time. It may be recalled that CPI(M) used to keep the state government offices under lock and key preventing even the willing employees from joining work.