Maoists’ strike affects life in Chhattisgarh

Raipur, March 26 (IANS) A daylong work stoppage called by the Maoist guerrillas Wednesday in southern Chhattisgarh affected normal life as the transport operators kept passenger vehicles off the road. Shops and business establishment in the forested areas of Bastar spread out in about 40,000 square km remained closed and passenger buses did not ply on the national highway 221 in Dantewada district and on national highway 16 in Bijapur district.

The leftist insurgents called the general strike in Dandakaranya, which covers most of the Bastar district, to protest against killings of 17 of their colleagues last week in a joint counter-insurgency operation by Chhattisgarh police and neighbouring Andhra Pradesh’s elite Greyhounds forces in Bijapur district.

“No untoward incident was reported from any part of the region,” Bastar Inspector General of Police R.K. Vij said.

He added that security in the interior areas of the district, including in and around government establishments, was beefed up and patrolling in the sensitive pockets also was intensified.

The transportation of iron ore from the National Mineral Development Corporation’s (NMDC) Bailadila in Dantewada district mines was affected as no trains plied on Jagdalpur-Kirandul rail section for fear of violence during the strike.

India’s largest iron-ore producer and exporter in public sector, the NMDC has major mining facilities in Kirandul and its neighbouring pockets that form vast Bailadila hills.