February 20, 2013
Chief Minister thanks people for maintaining normalcy on `bandh` in the State
Perhaps for the first time in West Bengal people took the plunge to say `no` to `bandh`. The credit goes to West Bengal Chief Minister Ms. Mamata Banerjee who took the initiatives to inspire the people of this State to rise against `bandh` culture. The Chief Minister is taking immense pain to bring Bengal on tracks which virtually came to a stand still on all fronts during the 34-years of misrule by the Left Front government.
On Wednesday morning, keeping all assumptions and presumption at bay, that the city would come to a halt due to `bandh`, people participated in regular actives. The roads since morning wore a normal look with regular traffic plying, shops open. However, commuters had to face harassment since taxi unions preferred to stay off the road in spite of their assurance to ply normally on `bandh` day.
`I express my gratitude to you all for not paying heed to `bandh` call and maintaining normalcy across the State. I was taking a round in the city to understand the actual situation a short while ago and I am happy to inform you that life in the city is like any other day. However, I agree that few shopkeepers may have abstained from opening their shops but that could be due may be due to many reasons. Still, I am hopeful that those who have closed their shops will open in the evening.
The Chief Minister slammed the taxi unions for putting the commuters into a mess by joining the `bandh`. `I was sorry to see the plight of commuters looking for taxis, all I would like to tell the Taxi unions is not to create problems for commuters or harass them. I would like to remind you that `bandh` has been termed `illegal `by Supreme Court and High Court. Action can be initiated against you. I am happy that the Auto unions did not join the `bandh` and are plying normally. I had a word with the members of Auto union at Behala, a short while back.
Referring to the `bandh` on Thursday, she said, `I am hopeful that people will maintain same spirit tomorrow also and will maintain normalcy in the State. Tomorrow happens to be `Bhasha Dibosh`, the great day for people in Bengal and Bangladesh, I am confident that everything will be normal tomorrow also. I assure full cooperation on behalf of the State government to all those who did not listen to the `bandh` call and remained open today`, added the Chief Minister.
The Kolkata Metro Railway services were normal. Flight movements at the Netaji Subhash Chandra International Airport were also normal. Movement of trains at Howrah and Sealdah Railway Stations were normal.
Earlier in the morning, the Chief Minister took round of the departments in the Writers` Building and expressed her satisfaction over the attendance. `I am very happy to see total attendance at the Writers` Building today, I can say it is 100 percent attendance`, said the Chief Minister.
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