Jharkhand partially paralyzed as nationwide strike takes effect

The two-day nationwide strike called by trade unions against the alleged repressive labour policies by the Narendra Modi government partially affected normal life in Jharkhand with most banks remaining closed across the state. Secretary of All India Bank Officers Association (Jharkhand Chapter), Prasant Sandil told PTI that the association has lent moral support to the striking trade unions in the banking sector.

We have given moral support to the trade unions agitation in the banking sector. Most of the banks across Jharkhand are closed after opening for a brief period in the day, Sandil said. He, however, said that the State Bank of India functioned normally despite supporting the unions. Meanwhile, educational institutions, offices and vehicular traffic functioned normally across the state. There was no impact of the strike in the Central Coalfields Ltd (CCL) headquarters in Ranchi with staff reporting for duty on time, a senior CCL official said.

Production and dispatch of coal in Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) and Eastern Coalfield Limited (ECL) were badly affected in Dhanbad as labourers stayed away from duty. A K Jha, the Rashtriya Mazdoor Colliery Sangh (RCMS) general secretary-cum-convener of the joint front of the central trade unions (INTUC, CITU, AICTU, HMS) said that due to the strike coal dispatch was affected as only 25-30 per cent cent of the miners marked attendance but did not work.

There was no law and order problem reported from anywhere in the state, police sources said. In Jamshedpur, business establishments and educational institutions functioned normally, but banks were closed. The Income Tax Employees Union under the banner of Central Government Employees Federation staged a sit-in near Income Tax office at Bistupur in the steel city. The banking sector was also affected in Hazaribagh and Deoghar districts, though the State Bank of India functioned normally.

(With inputs from agencies.)