JOIN USWith several organisations giving a positive response to the bandh call by various trade unions on Tuesday and Wednesday, normal life is expected to be hit across the state. With several stakeholders including unions of the BMTC, KSRTC and cab owners association openly declaring their support to the cause, Bengaluru will be shut down from dawn to dusk.
With transport services likely to be hit, Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner B M Vijayshankar announced a holiday for schools and colleges on Tuesday. Though it is a two-day strike, the district administration has announced a holiday only on Tuesday.
Bangalore University and Visvesvaraya Technological University have rescheduled examinations. However, emergency and essential services like medical services, Metro and chemists will continue to provide services on both the days.
The bandh, from 6 am to 6 pm on both days, has failed to get the support of small commercial establishments and hotels across the city. The Bruhat Bengaluru Hotels Association has clarified that they will not support the bandh and will continue with their operations. Similarly, auto unions like Adarsha Auto Union have also distanced themselves from the bandh and declared that autos affiliated to their associations will operate normally. The courts will function normally.
Trade bodies, comprising hundreds of workers from garment, service and manufacturing industries, will take out protest marches from Town Hall and Majestic culminating at Freedom Park. The workers will also march towards Raj Bhavan to hand over a memorandum to the Governor later in the day. With unions of BMTC, KSRTC employees expressing support to the bandh, city buses are unlikely to operate till afternoon and later, after reviewing the situation, the corporation will decide on resuming operations.
Though the state government has been silent on its support for the bandh, Transport Minister D C Thammanna said there will be no KSRTC services for two days. “It is our responsibility to protect government property,” he added.