SHILLONG, SEPT 19: Even as the office picketing crippled functioning of the state, central government offices beside banks, miscreants attempted to set fire three shops in Bishnupur at around 4.30 pm on Thursday.
The statewide office picketing sponsored by the pro ILP activists was effective in Khasi and Jaintia hills districts but the total shutdown in Garo hills was also because of the five days bandh called by the Garo Hills State Movement Committee (GHSMC) fighting for separate Garoland.
While East Khasi hills and West Khasi hills districts recorded the lowest turnout of employees in the different government offices, but officials claimed that there were good turned out of employees in Ri Bhoi, South West Khasi hills, West Jaintia hills, and East Jaintia hills districts.
East Khasi hills deputy commissioner Sanjay Goyal said, “The attendance varies from department to department. Some of the offices saw good attendance of 45 per cent. However, the overall attendances in the entire district stand at only 15 – 30 per cent.”
During the picketing hours, miscreants also attempted to burn down three shops at around 4.30 pm in the busy market of Bishnupur Bazar.
The three shops however were not damage by fire, police said.
The shops belonged to Shyam, Ramesh Sharma and Samsher Nongrum, they said.
West Jaintia hills deputy commissioner PS Dkhar informed that the overall attendance of employees is 80.7 percent even as he added that the situation is under control with no untoward incidents.
As per official records, the overall attendance is 38 % in West Khasi hills, 80% in South West Khasi hills, 50% Ri Bhoi, and 65% in East Jaintia hills districts.
There was no office picketing in the five districts of Garo hills as the Garo Hills Statehood Movement Committee (GHSMC) fighting for separate Garoland has called for five days bandh demanding unconditional release of their arrested volunteers.
East Garo hills district deputy commissioner Vijay Mantri said, “There is total shut-down and zero attendance by government employees in the region except in the deputy commissioner and superintendent of police offices where the attendance is 100 per cent,”
Mantri informed that all shops were closed during the hours of the bandh affecting normal life. He, however, said that the bandh was peaceful and no incidents were reported.
In West Garo hills district, deputy commissioner Pravin Bakshi informed that the office attendance is quite poor in the district due to fear and apprehension by the employees and the overall turnout stand at 20 percent in the district.”
Bakshi however said that there were no volunteers from the organizer in the streets.
The twenty five GHSMC activists who were arrested and lodged in Tura jail have been moved to Jowai jail on Wednesday morning.- By Our Reporter
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