Jamshedpur, June 12: On the second day of statewide economic blockade called by the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha � Prajatantrik (JVM-P) in protest against state government’s local domicile policy evoked mixed response in the Kolhan region on Sunday.
The party actvists hit the streets in different places like Ghatshila, Bhilaipahari, Baharagora (all in East Singhbhum), Chaibasa in West Singhbhum and Seraikela in adjoining Seraikela-Kharsawan district disrupting traffic on the national and state highways.
JVM activists of East Singhbhum staged agitation at Bhilaipahari where they deflated tyres of over a dozen trucks and trailers. The heavy vehicles were stranded on the NH-33. Another group of JVM activists led a similar agitation at Baharagora where they targeted heavy vehicles.
Movement of passenger vehicles was not affected but at some places they got delayed. “I had to go to Ghatshila to meet my family. But, got delayed by half-an-hour as the JVM activists were indulging in deflating tyres of heavy vehicles,” said Rahul Singh, a trader based in Mango.
A group of JVM activists also led a similar agitation at Gamharia and Chaibasa where they stopped heavy vehicles like trucks and trailers and deflated the tyres.
�I had an urgent consignment to be delivered to an Adityapur ancillary unit today. But, the vehicle carrying the consignment got struck in a jam at Gamharia as the agitators deflated the tyres. Now, the consignment will be delivered tomorrow,” said Rakesh Prasad, a vendor.
JVM’s central secretary Abhay Singh was put on house arrest. �The police detained me at my house in Kashidih. I was not allowed to move out. However, the party activists had disrupted movement of trucks and trailers at several places on the second day of the stir,” said Singh.
Meanwhile, East Singhbhum police had taken adequate measures to prevent any untoward incident during the economic blockade stir. Confirming this, senior SP of East Singhbhum Anoop T Mathew said that vigil on NH-33 was intensified by Jharkhand Armed Police (JAP) and CRPF. �We have reports of no untoward incident. About 100 preventive arrests were made,” said the senior SP.
Meanwhile, as per the program, several party activists gathered at NH 33 Pardih Chowk where the police arrested the workers.
The blockade was aimed to prevent movement of commercial vehicles on the 70-km stretch between Pardih and Badsol on the Bengal-Jharkhand border in East Singhbhum. But timely intervention of the police foiled the plans.
The party activists were camping at different points on the NH passing through East Singhbhum such as Pardih Kali Mandir, Bhilaipahari, Ghatshila Phuldungri Chowk, Jaganathpur Chowk, Bahragora and Badsol. JVM leaders have expressed angst against the administration and said that the arrest was carried on direction of state government.
Singh said his party would play an active role in the economic blockade. He said the blockade has been called against the domicile policy which crushes aspirations of the people of Jharkhand.
