Siraha, April 9:

Normal life in different districts in the Tarai region was affected due to a daylong bandh called by the Jwala Singh-led Janatantrik Tarai Mukti Morcha (JTMM) today to demand a Republican Tarai State.

In Siraha, academic institutions, factories, shops and business houses remained closed while vehicular movement remained halted. SLC examinees were affected the most due to the bandh. SLC examinees from rural parts of the district were compelled go to the exam centre on bicycles. The exam began half an hour late at the centres in Golbazaar, Lahan, Bandipur and Mirchaiya of Siraha after the examinees couldn’t reach the exam centres on time because of the bandh. The effect of the bandh was partial in Bara. A few microbuses and tempos plied on the Kalaiya-Birgunj route. Some shops were open in Kalaiya while SLC examination was conducted without any disruption.

In Saptari, both public and private vehicles stayed off the roads while factories and business houses remained shut. Though government offices were open, the number of service seekers was negligible due to halt in transportation service.

In Udaypur, the supply of cement from the Udaypur Cement Factory was disrupted due to the bandh. The factory normally supplies upto 100 trucks of cement daily, the sales department of the factory said. Life was affected in the district headquarters Gaighat, Katari, Rampur and Beltar as well. In Rautahat, vehicular movement came to a halt while shops in district headquarters Gaur and other rural parts remained shut.

In Sarlahi, the effect of bandh was partial. Shops and factories in Malangawa municipality remained shut and vehicular movement was also affected. However, there was no effect of the bandh in the northern part of the district. Factories and shops in Hariwan, Lalbandi and Nawalpur bazaars remained open while both short and long route vehicles plied.