Kolkata: The West Bengal government will do its best to maintain normalcy on February 20 and 21, the two days when central trade unions have called for a shutdown.
“We want to make it clear that there will no shutdowns in Bengal. From schools and colleges to shops and offices, everything will remain open,” West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said yesterday.
Central trade unions in banking, insurance, public sector undertakings, transport operators and unorganised sectors have called for a two-day nationwide strike on Wednesday and Thursday to protest the central government’s alleged inaction on price rise, privatisation, outsourcing, violation of labour laws and various other issues.
Banerjee also committed that her government will compensate people if their properties are damaged during the shutdown. “I humbly request all and sundry not to participate in shutdowns. If there is any damage to property, the government will compensate. I request the people all over the world to recognise that it will be a normal day in Bengal and people may come to our city. We will not allow shutdowns. If you do not support shutdowns, we will support you,” she added.
“This culture of shutdown has ruined the state and millions of people are jobless due to this attitude. Left parties criticised my industrial drive, but what have they done for industrialisation. First they ruined all industries through guerrilla trade unions and later in their drive for industrialisation they killed people in Nandigram and Singur,” Banerjee said.
“The people in the lowest denominator suffer the most during these forced shutdowns. My government will take serious action against any one resorting to violence to enforce the shutdown,” said the chief minister.
A division bench of Kolkata High Court has asked the state government to inform the court about the steps it is taking to ensure normalcy in the state. The court was responding to Idris Ali, a High Court advocate who had moved a petition against the February 20 strike called by Leftist trade unions.
“The state government has already directed all its employees to ensure that everyone is present or else the government will take serious action against those who are supporting the strike. Also all schools and colleges will remain open and factories will function as usual. Bus and taxi operators have been asked not to stop services,” said state Home Secretary Basudeb Banerjee.
