Mangalore: City Limps Back to Normalcy After Day-long Bandh
Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje / Brijesh Garodi
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (PS)
Update: 6.20 pm
Mangalore, May 31: After a day of complete shut down in the wake of the nationwide bandh called by the NDA allies and the Left parties against the hike in petrol prices, the city of Mangalore is slowly limping back to normalcy.
Long distance buses like those to Udupi and other places have resumed operations, while city buses and auto rickshaws have not yet stepped on to the roads.
A few shops in some parts of the city also opened, and citizens who chose to remain indoors all day were seen taking a stroll or going for a ride around the city.
The bandh was largely peaceful, except for a minor incident in Ulaibettu where stones were pelted at a bus.
Earlier Updates:
The nationwide bandh called by NDA allies and the Left parties on Thursday May 31 against the steep hike in prices of petrol received good response across the city.
Though a few restaurants opened in the morning, later they closed showing their support to the bandh. Medical shops, milk parlours and other essential commodities functioned as usual. A specialty of the bandh was that even auto rickshaws stayed off the road. However, auto drivers who did not join the bandh charged double fare in some places, it is reported.
People were seen walking on the road as there was hardly any public transport.
The bandh has been peaceful, and no untoward incident has been reported so far.
Schools and college remain shut, and so also offices. Shops too have downed their shutters, and only essential commodities like milk and services like amubulance and fire are not subject to bandh.
KSRTC buses are off the roads and hence passengers, especially those going to Kerala, are stranded. At Pumpwell, police are making arrangements to accomodate them in private vehicles to ferry them to Talapady.
Police and other security personnel are on high alert and conducting regular rounds of city to prevent any untoward incident.
As per the announcement earlier made by the district BJP, vehicles bound for functions and wedding cars will be allowed as the day is auspicious for important occasions.
Rail Roko
At Mangalore central railway station, CPI (M) party workers stopped the Kabaka Puttur passenger train at 10.15 am, however, the train was allowed to move within two minutes.
CPI(M) district general secretary B Madhava said that the union government is giving the reason of fluctuation in global crude oil prices for the hike in petrol. "But that is not fair," he said, demanding immediate reduction of petrol price.
BJP district unit carried out a cycle rally to mock the steepest hike in petrol price ever. The rally was taken out from district BJP office through PVS circle, K S Rao Road and back to BJP office.
Speaking on the occasion, MP Nalin Kumar Kateel said that it is evident that people are frustrated with the hike in petrol price, hence they were voluntarily observing bandh across the district. He urged for the dissolution of the union government as it had failed to control price of petrol.
Udupi
Hemanath Padubidri / Inchara Digitals / Suvarna Brahmavar
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi
Udupi, May 31: In Udupi, the bandh was peaceful. The streets were deserted and shops kept their shutters down.
Buses, both private and government, kept off the roads, and hence passengers had a tough time. Many were seen stranded at bus stands.
Udupi
Kaup
Brahmavar
Schools and colleges remained shut.
Police have tightened security across the district and thousands of police personnel have been deployed to ensure a peaceful bandh.
No untoward incident has been reported so far.
Mangalore: