In Bihar, Train services on Patna- Howrah Rail section were paralyzed as maoists blew up railway tracks near Rajla Halt in Jamui district in the wee hours. Passengers are suffering a lot as trains are stranded at several railway stations due to disruption of Rail traffic.Additional Director General of Police (Headquarters) U S Dutt said in Patna that about 40 Maoist guerrillas blew up the up and down tracks affecting the movement of several long-distance and local trains. Top railway officers have reached to the spot and efforts are on to restore Rail traffic. Maoists have called the 72-hour bandh call in Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Orissa and Chhattisgarh to protest against the proposed Operation Green Hunt to be launched by the Centre against them. The shutdown comes ahead of Tuesday's meeting of chief ministers of these states to be chaired by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram in Kolkata.In Bihar, Director General of Police Anand Shankar has asked Maoists to shun violence and come forward for talks with Government. Our Patna correspondent reports that the State Government has cancelled the leave of all Police officials in view of bandh and they are directed to maintain strict vigil to avoid any untoward incident.In Jharkhand, at least seven passenger trains have been cancelled while four others, including the Ranchi-New Delhi Rajdhani Express are being diverted. The State Authority has been put on high alert in the wake of Maoists bandh.
News On AIR | February 7, 2010 8:48 AM
High alert sounded in five States in view of 72-hour Maoists bandh call