Bharat bundh total in DK district

Buses, autorickshaws remained off the roads; official functions partially affected

The absence of autorickshaws, buses put passengers, who were on their way to attend some auspicious programmes and emergencies, into hardship. Some construction workers were seen waiting in the bus stops in the morning.

Schools, colleges and most of the business establishments  remained closed. However, few medical shops were found open.

The City wore a deserted look with few people seen walking on the road and few vehicles plying and with the closing down of all the business establishments except banks and government offices. People who came from Bangalore and other places in bus and trains were seen struggling to reach their destinations as there were no buses plying.

Train passengers were taken for a ride by few taxis at the railway station. As the autorickshaw drivers supported the bundh, there was hardly few autorickshaws at the railway station, thus putting passengers into hardship.

Though all trains left and arrived in time, the Mangalore Central Railway Station premises wore a deserted look following the Bharath bundh.

Sources said that all trains coming to Mangalore and leaving from Mangalore were on time. Though restaurants and stalls inside the Railway Station were functioning normally, their business was hit due to the bundh.

Banks and government offices worked with skeletal staff. The supply of newspaper and milk were not affected by the bundh.

Protest

MP Nalin Kumar Kateel and his supporters staged a protest against the Central Government for hiking the price of petroleum outside the Central Railway station. They shouted slogans against the Centre.

Central Market Merchants’ Association Secretary Hameed Kandak said “the market remained open till 10 am as we had to supply vegetables to hostels, hospitals, temples. We could not open for long since there was shortage of porters. Moreover, lorries carrying vegetables did not come today.”

CPM District Secretary Madhav said “people have voluntarily supported the bundh call given by the Left parties.”

A KSRTC official said that all the KSRTC buses bound to Mangalore from other destinations have reached Mangalore safely on Monday morning. The KSRTC buses started operating after 6 pm.  

Shramadaan

Few youths from Ekkur and Adyar did not waste their holiday. Instead, they carried out shramadaan and filled the potholes on the road from Ekkur to Pumpwell and at Adyar. Kateel Nandini Yuvaka Mandala members cleared the roadside on Kateel-Ullanje road.
Monday being the auspicious day for marriage, several marriages were held in the district. The bundh did not affect the marriage. In Sullia, Autorickshaw Drivers Association under the aegis of BMS staged a protest.

The bundh did not affect the movement of private cars, taxis and other vehicles to the airport.

The miscreants had tried to stop the movement of vehicles by blocking the road by placing stones on the road. However, no vehicles had entered the road. The usual shandy at Bajpe was also affected with the bundh.

Some miscreants burnt the tyre at Angaragudde in Mukly. However, the police doused the fire.

The agriculture labourers who were engaged in paddy fields at Pavanje were not affected by the bundh.

In Surathkal, some miscreants tried close the shops forcibly. However, with the police intervention no untoward incident took place and situation was brought under control immediately.

BJP Mangalore North unit staged a protest in Surathkal. Addressing the protest rally, Mayor Rajani Dugganna said “the rise in the price of petroleum products will affect the commonman. The hike in the price should be rolled back immediately.”

Govt offices remain open

While, the Bharat Bundh has partially affected the functioning in the Deputy Commissioner’s Office with a skeletal staff strength, the functioning of Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat Office did not affect much as majority of staff were on duty.

Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer P Shivashankar said that the bundh did not affect the functioning of ZP Office. “Since most of the employees are staying in the locality, 90 per cent of them reached the office and carried out their duties.

Meanwhile, the ZP had arranged vehicles to transport employees from distant places,” he added.

In Deputy Commissioner’s Office, the staff attendance was only about 30 per cent. Various offices in DC office complex functioned without required staff strength and only officials were present.

The staff attendance in Mangalore City Corporation was too low that only about 20 percent of the employees were on duty.