State govt takes stern measures to maintain normalcy

Kolkata: The Mamata Banerjee government in Bengal is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that normal life is not disrupted by any means in the 48-hour bandh called by the various trade unions on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively.

"We have a clear-cut stand and we do not support any bandh in the state. They (the Left) have pushed the state backwards in their 34 years of rule by calling bandhs. There will be no bandh," Banerjee told reporters at Nabanna.

The state Home and Hill Affairs department has directed the state administration and police to ensure safety and security of the people and at the same time act tough against violation of law and order. "Any attempts in forcible closure of offices will be dealt with strongly as per provisions of law and any sort of attempt to enforce bandh by any means should be curbed," an official in the state Home department said. The state Transport department has made special arrangements for services to ensure that people face no difficulty in commuting.

"On a normal day, around 2261 buses are there in the schedule. 500 more buses will ply on the roads on the strike days. Extra buses will be there at from all the Corporations of the state government bus terminals," state Transport minister Suvendu Adhikari said.

He also added that 20 percent more trams and vessels will be plying on both the days. A meeting was held and the private bus operators were assured of compensation if there is any sort of damage to the vehicles. "We will be running buses in the same manner as on normal days," Sadhan Das, general secretary of Joint Council of Bus Syndicate.

The Eastern Railway and the Kolkata Metro have also said that all steps are being taken to ensure that there is no disruption of services.

"Insurance provision for the affected buses and cars during the strike hours will remain the same as previous strikes," a senior official of the state Transport department said. The Kolkata Police will deploy additional forces. There will be as many as 390 police pickets in the city. The state Finance department has already issued a notification making attendance in government offices mandatory for four days in the wake of the 48-hour general strike. No Casual Leave for absence either in the first half of the day or in the second on those days will be granted to the employees.