Shutdown cripples life in Tripura

Agartala, May 31 (IANS) The 12-hour shutdown called by the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and its allies in the ruling Left Front to protest hike in petrol prices Thursday crippled life in Tripura.

"The strike was total and successful with party workers and general people expressing their anger against the recent unprecedented petrol price hike," CPI-M state secretary Bijon Dhar told reporters here.

"People are already burdened with price-rise of essentials, retrenchment, underpayment, poverty and many of the economic policies of the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government. The steep rise in petrol price was the latest attack on common man," Dhar said.

Quoting from government records, Dhar, who is also a CPI-M central committee member, said the UPA government has increased petrol prices 36 times since 2004 even though in the international oil market the prices did not increase so many times.

In response to the shutdown call by the ruling Left Front, most markets, business establishments, offices, educational institutions and banks remained closed and train services between Tripura and the rest of the country were disrupted.

Buses plying between Tripura and Bangladesh and other northeastern states were also hit.

"Hundreds of trucks plying between India and Bangladesh were stranded at the Akhaurah check-post due to the shutdown," a customs official here said.

However, air services on the Agartala-Kolkata, Agartala-Guwahati and Agartala-New Delhi routes have been "operating normally", an Agartala airport official said.

"The shutdown has so far been peaceful. No untoward incident has been reported from anywhere in the state," police spokesperson Nepal Das said.