Bandh paralyses normal life in Vizag district

Visakhapatnam: Bandh paralysed normal life across the district on Thursday. The Left parties supported by YSR Congress Party gave a call for the bandh in protest against raw deal meted out to Andhra Pradesh by the Centre in 2018-19 budget. 

The people belonging to all walks of life voluntarily supported the bandh. Educational institutions both private and government remained closed. Supporting the agitation, owners of the theatres cancelled the morning shows and some of others cancelled the matinee shows also. Banks, offices, educational institutions, small, medium and larger commercial establishments were closed.

As there are no RTC buses and auto-rickshaws, passengers, who arrived from various places to the city faced troubles to reach their destinations. Though some drivers, who tried to ply auto-rickshaws, the auto union leaders stopped them and forcibly locked the vehicles.

In fact, APSRTC made an attempt to run some services from Maddilapalem depot in the morning but with the protests from the CPM, CPI and YSR Congress Party, the management dropped it plans.   

Employees, working class not attended to the duties. Poor attendance was reported at the industries like Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, Visakhapatnam Port Trust, NTPC and IT companies. 

Till evening, the APSRTC suspended all its services. Leaders and cadre from the political parties came on to the roads and raised against the Narendra Modi government. They demanded that the Centre announce special category status to the state and railway zone with Visakhaptnam as headquarters.  

A large number of activists of YSR Congress Paraty and Left parties participated in bandh at various places and staged dharnas in the city. With all the educational institutions closed there is no vehicular traffic and busy roads wore a deserted look.  

Police deployed a large number of police personnel at every busy junction’s to maintain law and order. The RPF personnel were deployed at Visakhapatnam railway station.

In the rural areas also right from the gram panchayat to mandal development offices were closed. Though the mandal level government offices opened, no employees attended. All the shops at the mandal and village level were closed and supported the bandh. Even the tiffin centres, pushcart vendors, pan shops closed voluntarily.

Police arrested the leaders of various political parties at Maddilapalem in the city at Narsipatnam and Paderu. Later, they released them. The Telugu Desam Party also staged dharnas at some places and raised slogans against the Centre.