With the financial sector completely shut down on Wednesday, the first day of the two-day strike called by the trade unions passed off peacefully here. Since the suburban trains ran as usual, the bandh did not affect the common people. Even public transport buses, autorickshaws and taxis plied in the city as usual. Though Shiv Sena supported the bandh, it was lenient in its approach as the Higher Secondary Certificate exams were scheduled to be held from Thursday.
However, at Mantralaya, the state’s power centre, some of the class III and class IV employees joined the strike by remaining absent from work. Educational institutions, however, functioned normally.