Thaindian News

Chandigarh, July 5 (IANS) Punjab saw a mixed response to the nationwide strike called by opposition parties Monday against rising fuel prices, while in Congress-ruled Haryana, the response was poor.
Most of the educational institutions, banks, hospitals, shops and transport services in Haryana and Chandigarh functioned normally.

In Punjab, there was some impact of the strike as many shops in Bathinda, Amritsar, Patiala, Ludhiana, Phagwara, Moga and Jalandhar cities were closed. Private transport, including buses and cabs remained off roads at these places.

The ruling Akali Dal in Punjab and the opposition Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) in Haryana urged the people to join the shutdown.

At various places in Punjab, Akali Dal activists raising anti-UPA slogans were seen forcing the people to shut their shops and business establishments. Rail traffic was also blocked by activists of the BJP, Akali Dal and Left parties at Amritsar, Jalandhar and Barnala towns.

A train was stopped by Akali Dal activists in Amritsar for sometime and then allowed to proceed.

Functioning of government offices, schools and colleges in the region was normal. However, a dip in the attendance was observed.

Rail and road traffic remained normal in the region. Barring private transport at some places, state-owned public transport plied as per routine.

In Chandigarh, Bharatiya Janata Party activists were seen forcing shopkeepers to close their properties in Sector 17, the main commercial hub of this city, and in Sector 22. However, the overall situation was normal.

The Chandigarh administration had appealed to people to boycott the shutdown.

There was no major disruption due to the strike call in Haryana. However, some shops were closed in Ambala, Hisar, Kurukshetra and Sonepat towns.

So far, no untoward incident related to the strike was reported from Punjab and Haryana.