Shutdown hits trains and road traffic in Bihar

The bandh called by the opposition to protest hike in diesel price, cap on subsidised LPG cylinders and FDI in retail hit the railways and road traffic in Bihar inconveniencing millions of people.

Railway tracks were blocked, dozens of trains and road traffic were hit Thursday morning by supporters of the nation-wide shutdown called by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Thousands of workers and leaders of NDA including Bihar's ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U), its ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and left parties took to the streets to enforce the shutdown across the state.

"Several trains were halted and road traffic was badly hit in Patna and its neighbourhood by supporters of the shutdown," a district police official said.

Slogan shouting protestors, mostly youth workers of JD-U clad were seen forcibly stopping trains at various railway stations since morning.

BJP's workers with party flags blocked tracks and halted trains here, a police officer said.

According to railway officials, hundreds of passengers were stranded at different railway stations since early Thursday as BJP, JD-U and Left activists disrupted train services in  Nalanda, Gaya, Jehanabad, Darbhanga, Hajipur, Bhagalpur and Saharsa districts.

"Railways are soft target. The shutdown badly hit us and common passengers," a railway official told IANS on condition of anonmity.

The national and state highways were also blocked at various places.

In Patna, roads were blocked by the shutdown supporters.

"Road services were also hit as protestors were seen burning tyres. No long route-buses plied. Highways are deserted," a police officer said.

All private schools and colleges were closed in Patna in view of the shutdown.

Additional Director General Ravinder Kumar said elaborate security arrangement across state was made to maintain law and order.

"Additional security forces have been deployed in some sensitive areas," he added.