Normal life hit in interior Chhattisgarh during Maoist bandh

Normal life was paralysed and transportation disrupted in interior regions of Chhattisgarh while the two-day bandh called by the Maoists had little effect on the urban areas today.

Police personnel deployed in Naxal-hit regions were put on high alert in view of the shutdown called to protest the killing of top Maoist leader Azad in Andhra Pradesh, senior officials said.

Vehicles kept off the roads in interior parts, however, the bandh did not have any impact in urban areas. Additional security was provided to rail services in the state which was not affected.

"The markets remained open and traffic was normal in urban areas of Bastar but roads in interior regions wore a deserted look," district superintendent of police Sundaraj P said.

In Bijapur district, vehicular traffic was affected on Bijapur-Bhopalpatnam and Bijapur-Aavapalli routes. Private bus
operators did not conduct services despite assurance of police
protection, another senior police officer said.

Shops were closed in rural pockets of Kanker district. There are reports of explosives being recovered from the Koylibeda-Udanpur Road, district superintendent of police Ajay
Yadav said.

In Naxal hot-bed Narayanpur district, bus owners opted to stay off the roads. 

Maoists had called the bandh to protest killing of top Naxal leader Azad alias Cherukuri Raj Kumar on July one in Adilabad in Andhra Pradesh, a day after Maoists killed 27 CRPF men in Narayanpur.