Barring blockades at Hasnabad and Diamond sections of the

Eastern Railway, train services were normal in Howrah and Sealdah divisions. The West Bengal government had warned employees against being absent during the strike.The state government has also asked shops and markets to remain open or face administrative action, including cancellation of trade licence. In Odisha, commuters faced difficulties in many parts as buses, taxis and auto-rickshaws remained off the roads leaving a large number of passengers, including women and children, stranded at bus stands. Shops, markets, business establishments, petrol pumps and restaurants remained closed and roads wore a deserted look with thin traffic, official sources said. Banks remained closed with employees picketing and demonstrating at different places. Train services were disrupted by protesters blocking tracks at many places including the state capital of Bhubaneswar, besides at Cuttack, Balasore, Khurda Road, Berhampur and Sambalpur, railway sources said. Normal life was hit in Left Front-ruled Tripura due to the strike. Shops and markets were closed, as were schools, colleges, banks and financial institutions. Private buses and taxis were off the roads and train service came to a standstill in the state. CITU workers staged a dharna on the train lines at the Agartala railways station. In Andhra Pradesh, personnel of various public sector organisations stayed away from work. The employees of various public sector banks began protest at the Bank Street at Koti in Hyderabad as part of the strike.The leaders of the bank unions sit-out at the government's alleged attempts to dilute the public sector banking system. The staff of the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) have also joined the strike in different parts of the state. Barring stray incidents of stone pelting in Bellary, the nationwide strike called by 11 trade unions in support of their demands evoked a mixed response across Karnataka. Sources said some persons pelted stones at some buses and blocked roads in Bellary while normal life was hit in Koppal, with buses, autorickshaws and other transport off the roads, officials said. In Rajasthan, bank branches were closed and state roadways buses kept away from the roads.