The State-wide bandh call given by the banned CPI (Maoist) on Tuesday evoked a lukewarm response in Visakha Agency.
The bandh call was given in protest against the alleged illegal mining of laterite and bauxite in the Agency areas of Visakhapatnam and East Godavari districts.
The police said no untoward incident was reported and that all shops and establishments remained open. Public transport functioned as usual.
The Maoists allege that the mining of laterite in 121 hectares at Bhamidikaloddi in Sarugudu panchayat of Nathavaram mandal in Visakhapatnam district was allotted to a tribal person named J. Lakshmana Rao, who in fact is a benami of some influential people. They claimed that the mining had exceeded its designated lease area and a road was laid without obtaining the manadatory permissions and clearances from the authorities concerned.
Even in Sarugudu, the response to the bandh was poor, as the Maoists have a very little presence in that area. The police said that there was no response to the bandh in Maoist-prone mandals such as G.K. Veedhi, Pedabayalu, Munchingput or Chintapalli.
