STRIKE-LD SOUTH

Parts of Kerala

continued to be in disarray Wednesday with trains blocked and

a SBI branch vandalised while in Karnataka an effigy of the

Prime Minister was burnt but rest of the south was largely

peaceful on the second day of the two-day nationwide stir.

The strike was called by ten central trade unions against

the Centre's "anti-labour" policies.

In Kerala, a treasury branch of the State Bank of India

at Thiruvanathapuram was attacked by a group of people.

A branch official said a group of people came to the

manager's cabin around 10 am and threatened him and his staff,

damaged a glass-top table and a computer monitor.

Police said the perpetrators are yet to be nabbed.

The strike also affected the movement of pilgrims to the

Sabarimala temple, resulting in a fall in arrival of devotees,

even though the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation

(KSRTC) had arranged bus services from various destinations to

Pamba.

At Kochi, port trust authorities arranged vehicles and

other facilities for tourists who arrived at the port city on

a cruise liner, they said.

At Thiruvananthapuram railway station, the

Thiruvananthapuram-Hyderabad Sabari Express and Venad Express

were blocked, while the Kottayam-Nilambur passenger train in

Kalamassery was held up for a while. Following the delayed

departure, some trains were running late, officials said.

Autorickshaws were also off the roads.

Many shopkeepers alleged that they were asked to down

shutters. Most textile and spices shops in the Broadway Market

in Kochi and Mittayi Theruvu (sweet street) in Kozhikode were

open.

Shops were open in the suburbs of all major towns and

along the highways, but the roads remained traffic-free at

most places as public transport, especially KSRTC, did not ply

services, except to Pamba at the foothills of Sabarimala.

In Karnataka's Davangere, protesters disrupted bus

services, staged demonstration and burnt an effigy of the

prime minister to vent their anger against the central

government's 'anti-labour' policies, officials said.

Bus services were Wednesday hampered across the state,

they said.

Causing severe inconvenience to commuters, hundreds of

protesters from the Left trade unions disrupted bus services

at Majestic, the Central Bus Stand at Bengaluru, Transport

Department officials said.

People, however, went about their day-to-day activities

as usual.

Trade union workers took out rallies in several parts of

the state holding placards, flags and raised slogans against

the central government.

Police said they thwarted attempts made by protesters to

disrupt train services.

Protesters hurled stones at KSRTC buses on Magadi Road

and near Yelahanka in Bengaluru. Some schools and colleges in

the city remained shut. Metro rail was the saviour for

commuters as its services remained unaffected.

Agitators threw stones at some trains in Kalaburagi and

Ballari, railways sources said.

In Tamil Nadu, trains were stopped by protesters at a few

places while banking services in some public sector banks

interrupted in Telangana but life largely remained unaffected.

In Chennai, protests were held at Mount Road and

Perambur and Guindy railway stations.

The CITU's Tamil Nadu president A Soundararajan along

with over 100 protesters were detained for picketing trains at

the Guindy railway station, police said.

Similar protests were held in front of Madurai railway

station and near the old bus-stand in Thanjavur district and

Tiruchirappalli station affecting movement of vehicles and

rail traffic.

Police said no incidents of violence were reported.

Offices, commercial establishments and educational

institutions functioned normally.

Operations of 85,000 public and private sector branches

functioning in Tamil Nadu and 25,000 cooperative society banks

were affected during the strike, Tamil Nadu bank employees

federation (BEFTN) general secretary C P Krishnan said.

Barring interruption to banking services in some public

sector banks, it was business as usual in Telangana Wednesday.

Employees belonging to the All India Bank Employees

Association and Bank Employees Federation of India took part

in the strike affecting banking transactions partially across

the State, AIBEA national secretary B S Rambabu said.

More than 22 lakh employees and workers of public,

private and unorganised sectors in Telangana took part,

Telangana CITU General secretary M Saibabu claimed.

For the second day, the strike had hardly any impact in

Andhra Pradesh with buses and other transport vehicles plying

smoothly. Offices remained open and educational institutions

functioned,officials said.

No untoward incidents were reported in the Union

Territory of Puducherry where most commercial establishments

remained open and educational institutions and offices

functioned as usual.