Government buses to ply normal; Theatres cancel shows

An official from state Transport Department, seeking anonymity, said that mofussil buses of Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) and State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) would be operated as usual. “Buses will ply with police protection to avoid any untoward incident and we have requested the police department to do the needful. KSRTC will also be provided protection,” the source said. However, bus will not be operated to Karnataka till normalcy returns in the state and border areas, he added. 

However, Omni bus owners have decided to support the bandh. Anbazhagan, secretary, Omni Bus Owners and Operators Association, Koyambedu, said, “Omni buses won’t be operated from 6 am to 6 pm and we will operate the buses after 6 pm for convenience of passengers,” he said. 

Meanwhile, Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) officials have assured the commuters of city and suburbs hassle-free Friday. “Not even a single bus would stay off road and all of them would be pressed into services,” an official said. They said that MTC did not receive any communication from the government regarding the safety measures to be undertaken and was sure that the police department would take care of it. 

The Tamil Nadu cooperative milk federation’s flagship brand, Aavin, will not face any problem in supplying milk to its 11.50 lakh card holders in Chennai during the day-long bandh on Friday, according to senior officials. 

“Milk supply at vending machines would be completed around 6 am much before the bandh comes into force at 9 am,” said officials. Similarly, 15,000 litres sent to replenish shops would be sent along with the night supply. “There was no need for customers to feel apprehensive of the availability of milk in the city,” they said. However, they admitted that the supply might come down by 50,000 litres, if wholesalers, who are supposed to deliver 4 lakh litres to shops around the city, were unable to lift their load. 

Meanwhile reports surfaced in some section of the media that the Private Nursery, Primary and Matriculation Schools Association have declared a holiday on Friday and the exams scheduled for tomorrow were postponed to Saturday.  There are close to 18,000 private schools across the State. 

Meanwhile, in a joint press release, the Tamil Nadu film industry has announced it wouldn’t function on Friday and theatres wouldn’t screen movies till evening. 

Apart DMK, PMK, MDMK, the Left Parties, VCK, TVK and  TMC, Congress party too on Thursday pledged its support to the bandh. Newly appointed TNCC president Su Thirunavukkarasar, in a statement, said, “I request the party functionaries and workers to participate in the bandh” and urged the people of the state to extend full cooperation to make it a success. 

The Puducherry unit of the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) announced its support to the bandh called by several tamil outfits in Puducherry to condemn the violence against Tamils in Karnataka. Thirumalavan said his party would organise rail roko agitations across the state and he would personally lead the agitation in Chennai.

DMDK president Vijayakant had announced that his party would observe a fast to condemn the attack on Tamils in Karnataka. MDMK general secretary Vaiko, who was in Tiruchy on Thursday, lauded all parties and other outfits in Tamil Nadu for coming together in the Cauvery row and accused the Centre for cheating on Tamil Nadu. “The Centre is the prime culprit, while Karnataka stands second,” he said.