Bharat Bandh: Hotels, banks hit in Himachal

Shimla: Banks and commercial establishments were closed across Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday as employees joined the two-day nationwide strike called by major trade unions. Most of the private hotels, banks and state government departments were shut, as employees struck work for the day.  Rail and road traffic in the state, however, was unaffected. “There is a complete shutdown in private hotels, hydropower projects and various central and state government departments in the state,” Jagat Ram, state president of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), told IANS. CITU is affiliated to the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M). Employees of more than 18,000 ‘anganwari’ (child day-care) centres also joined the strike. Employees unions of the state irrigation, public health, and public works departments also participated in the strike. There is no report of any violence in the state, an official at the police headquarters here said. IANS