AGARTALA, November 20 (TIWN): Normal life was thrown out of gear across Tripura with rail and road traffic severely affected in the wake of a 12-hour state bandh called by the Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) to protest against the lathi charge allegedly by police on its supporters at Agartala on November 17.

Markets remained closed and the state capital wore a deserted look with no vehicles except ambulances and security vehicles doing their rounds.

Schools, colleges and other educational institutions and banks were closed and attendance in government offices, including civil secretariat, was very thin, officials said.

Buses of state-owned Tripura Road Transport Corporation (TRTC) went off the roads in all 8 districts. Shops, hotels and business establishments were also shutdown in many parts of the State.

Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) leaders sat in protest outside the Nagarjala bus depots since early on Thursday to prevent buses from coming out.

The streets in Agartala wore a deserted look with state-run buses, private vehicles, taxis, auto-rickshaws remaining off the road since 6 am as the bandh began.

A thick security blanket has been thrown through out in the capital town here in the wake of a 12-hour state bandh called by the Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) to prevent any untoward incidents.

The entire town has been divided into many security sectors and senior officers will supervise and monitor the security of each sectors, senior police officer said.

Railway sources said train services were severely hit due to squatting of bandh supporters on the rail track at several locations. 

Airport sources said the flight operations were normal in Agartala airport.