GUWAHATI: Normal life was affected in Assam today with railway tracks blocked at several places, private buses off the roads and banks remaining closed in response to the nationwide one-day strike called by ten central trade unions, official sources said.
Picketeers squatted on the railway tracks at many places affecting train movement before they were removed by the security forces, they said.
Northeast Frontier Railway sources said trains operated normally after they were delayed for about half-an-hour due to the squatting.
However, flights operated as usual, the sources said.
Private buses and long distance buses kept off the roads in Guwahati and other towns though government-run Assam State Transport Corporation operated its fleet, the sources said.
While banks and financial institutions, shops and bazars remained closed in many places, offices and educational institutions reported poor attendance as students and employees could not reach their destinations, the sources said.
Large number of people were seen waiting for buses.
Meanwhile, police arrested many picketeers from different parts of the state, including Guwahati, for blocking roads and railway tracks and lodged them in temporary jails.
They however were released later, sources added.