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Bandh hits normal life

Special Correspondent

However, Government offices and banks functioned in Puducherry

Puducherry: Normal life was affected in the Union Territory on Saturday where a total bandh was observed from dawn-to-dusk by traders, merchants, fleet operators, autorickshaw and tempo owners, shops and establishments and workers in response to the call given by political parties to protest against the Supreme Court order staying the implementation of the 27 per cent reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in premier educational institutions.

However, as the Government had already declared the Saturday as a working day, Government offices and departments worked as usual. Banks also functioned normally.

With all inter-State and town buses remaining off the roads, the municipal bus terminal at Orleanpet wore a deserted look.

Government employees used two-wheelers to reach work spots. Police sources said that there was no report of any untoward incident from anywhere.

Tourists, who were on a trip to Puducherry, faced hardship as hotel establishments were closed in most parts of the town, although small roadside eateries came to their rescue. Cinemas had suspended shows. Most roads within the Boulevard limits presented a barren look.

Around 100 volunteers of various political parties were arrested in Ariyankuppam on Puducherry-Cuddalore route when they staged a picketing. Pattali Makkal Katchi legislator from Ariyankuppam R.K.R. Anantharaman, deputy secretary of the Communist Party of India (Puducherry) T. Geethanathan, members of the Congress, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Pattali Makkal Katchi were among those held.

Police sources told The Hindu that former legislator T. Jayamoorthy, along with his supporters, was arrested in Ariyankuppam when they sought the support of some of the shops that were kept open. Police pickets were deployed in strength at all vantage points. The celebration of Mahavir Jayanthi has been postponed to Sunday.

With the autorickshaws and tempos remaining off the roads, patient attendance at the outpatient block in the Government hospital was poor.

The Assembly premises also presented a forlorn look. Leaders of the parties affiliated to the Democratic Progressive Alliance thanked the traders, fleet owners, merchants, industrial establishments and others for their "massive response to the call for bandh".

They held a meeting under the chairmanship of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam convener R.V. Janakiraman and reviewed the situation. General secretary of the ruling Congress A. Gandhiraj and delegates of the PMK, the CPI, the CPI (M) and other parties participated. Our Special Correspondent from Vellore writes: Near total bandh was observed in Vellore and Tiruvannamalai districts from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, in response to the call given by the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and its allies for a statewide bandh. Normal life was affected. Both the mofussil and town bus stands wore a deserted look.

Only a few passengers were seen in the Katpadi Railway Junction. Two-wheelers, bicycles and cars alone plied on the roads. Being the weekend, all Chennai-bound buses were crowded in the Vellore bus stand.

Cuddalore

The bandh totally paralysed life in Cuddalore and Villupuram districts. Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudy, who went around Villupuram town along with partymen, told reporters that "with the backing of the people the bandh was 100 per cent success."

The public transports, including autorickshaws, were off the road. All the educational institutions declared holiday for the day, and shops and other commercial establishments remained closed from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The activists of the Pattali Makkal Katchi, wearing black badges, staged demonstrations at many places in both the districts.

Late in the evening, the bus and train services resumed with full passenger attendance.

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