Life was disrupted for the second day on Thursday due to the 48-hour nationwide strike called by trade unions. Shops, business establishments, markets, and banks remained closed. Barring two-wheelers and a few private vehicles, the public transport system remained totally suspended on Thursday. However, rail and air services were normal.
Attendance in government offices was thin as members of affiliated trade unions abstained from work.. Educational institutions remained closed for the second day. As on Wednesday, passengers who arrived by train on Thursday had a difficult time in reaching their destination. However, people who arrived in the capital city for treatment at the Government Medical College and the Regional Cancer Centre were taken in police vehicles, the police said.
Similarly, police vehicles were used to transport air travellers to the domestic and international terminals. Nine vans and 24 jeeps were deployed to take passengers to different destinations. About 7,500 people were taken to their destinations in police vehicles, the police said.
The Civil Supplies Department opened its fuel outlets at Statue and Vellayambalam following protest by motorists. There were long queues of vehicles at these petrol pumps and policemen were posted near the vicinity of the petrol stations to regulate traffic.
By late evening on Thursday, there were reports that in certain pockets of the city, shops and business establishments had started functioning. According to the police, no major incident of violence was reported from the city and its suburbs. Supporters of trade unions tried to prevent the headmaster of a government school at Chavadimukku, near Sreekarayam, from entering the campus. Miscreants damaged a petty shop at Pathamkallu, near Karakulam. A case has been registered in connection with the incident, the police said.
