Jamshedpur : Normal life was paralyzed in the city on Sunday as opposition parties called for a shutdown, seeking to press their demand for a “special status” for the state. The two opposition parties — All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik (JVM-P) — were supported by the Janata Dal-United in enforcing the shutdown. Hundreds of party workers were arrested.
Normal life was paralysed as, shop and commercial establishments barring medical stores and hospitals downed shutters in all the major localities of the city. However, no major disturbances was reported from any part of the city as the public apprehending trouble due to the bandh call stayed in-door. Some incidents of violence was reported at Bistupur when ther bandh supporters attacked a few shops.
The public transport modes including city buses and auto rickshaws were off the road in the city till evening.
Trains services at Tatanagar remained unaffected as bandh protagonists failed to turn up at the railway station. However, movement of passengers, apprehending trouble due to the bandh call, was abysmally low at the station.
The AJSU activists forced automatic teller machine kiosks and petrol pumps to remain closed for the day. Stray incidents of violence including damage to glass panes of auto rickshaws were reported during the day.
AJSU MLA Ramchandra Sais”We struggled for the formation of a separate state and are proud to be in a state with the richest mineral reserves. But owing to central norms, the state cannot utilize its own resources. Several thousand people have already expressed their willingness to join the movement.� The party needed to expedite the organisational and associational activities in the districts, he added.
Rai said that the coming two months were crucial for the party during which the workers would try to establish direct contact with the people in the State.
Shedding more light on the factors favouring special status the senior leader said that around 67 percent area of the state has minerals. But most of the iron ore are exported to different states using the infrastructure of Jharkhand while the maintenance cost is bear by the State only. He also said that since most of the Public Sector Units have headquarters in major cities outside the State Jharkhand incurs a lossx of Rs 10,000 crores.
He claimed that the Central Government is not concern about effective human development in Jharkhand or else it would have accorded the special status to the state and allotted additional funds by now. Goswami noted that funds allocated under the special status category would play major role to ensure inclusive growth of Jharkhand.