THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The all-India strike called by the various trade unions was total in the state with the staff in government offices and majority of the commercial and private establishments joining the strike and public transport services remaining off the roads. No major untoward incidents were reported from anywhere. In the state capital, the pro-Left supporters of the stir blocked the vehicles of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), which were often spared during strikes.
Only a handful of senior government officers at the government secretariat turned up for work. Since dies non was not imposed, almost all the officials also remained at home. KSRTC buses, private transport buses, taxis and autorickshaws did not run, while a few private vehicles, mainly two wheelers, plied. Isolated incidents of attempt to block vehicles were reported from various parts of the state. Boat services in Alappuzha district were also affected.
The functioning of banks across the state was hit. The All-India Bank Employees' Association and All-India Bank Officers' Association said in a statement that 6,000-odd bank branches across the state remained closed during the day. The IT parks were not much affected as about 80 to 100 percent attendance was registered in the companies in Technopark, while over 60 percent attendance was recorded in Infopark.
The vehicles carrying employees operated in convoy with police protection. While the police extended a helping hand to those stranded at railway stations and bus stands at various places, including Thiruvananthapuram, in Kochi the 57 naval personnel from Southern Naval Command assisted the Cochin Port Trust in their operations. The supporters of the strike staged protest marches and demonstrations raising their demands.
(With inputs from other centres)
