KOLKATA: All major domestic airlines operating from the city's Netaji Subash Chandra Bose International airport have cancelled their flights scheduled to leave here on Thursday in view of the nation-wide general strike called by Left trade unions and considering the inconvenience that could be caused to passengers in the absence of facilities at the airport on that day. V.K. Monga, Director, Airports Authority of India, said here on Wednesday that representatives of some of the unions sponsoring the strike had conveyed to him that they would not be cooperating with the management on the bandh day. This would affect operations at the airport, he feared.

There would, however, be no prior cancellation of train services both in the Eastern Railway and South Eastern Railway divisions. Trains would be run as usual unless obstructions affected railway traffic, railway sources said.

Transport in the city is expected to be severely affected due to the strike as the CITU is in control of the State-run transport services. The State's Transport Minister, Subash Chakravarty, advised employees "to walk to their offices" if they chose to report for duty. Arrangements to ensure that workers in the information technology sector reported for work were discussed at a meeting held during the day between representatives of different IT companies and the State administration.

The Chief Minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, said that the sector would remain functional on Thursday and picketing by bandh supporters in the IT hub of the city at Salt Lake's Sector V would not be allowed.

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