Bharat bandh hits normal life in West Bengal

KOLKATA: Normal life was today disrupted in West Bengal due to the bandh called by CPI(M)-led Left Front and NDA against FDI in retail and diesel price hike with train and road services hit due to protests.

However, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed that the situation was "normal".

"I saw that the situation was normal as I was coming to Writers' Buildings," Banerjee told reporters at the state secretariat.

Incidents of obstruction of train services were reported from both Sealdah and Howrah divisions of Eastern railway, while eight long-distance trains were detained at different stations of South Eastern railway, railway sources said.

Educational institutions, shops and business establishments were by and large closed in the metropolis.

Banking services were affected, reports said. Very few private buses and minibuses were on the roads, as also state-run buses and trams.

Taxis were on a 72-hour strike demanding an increase in fare.

Near normal attendance was reported at the Writers' Buildings, the state secretariat, official sources said.

Services of the underground Metro Rail were normal, officials said.

Airport sources said the flight operations were normal except cancellation of the Kolkata-New Delhi and Kolkata-Agartala Indigo flights.

Joint Commissioner of Police, Kolkata, Jawed Shamim said there was no untoward incident.