Normal life came to a halt in the district in the morning hours of the nationwide general strike called by trade unions on Thursday against the Centre’s alleged anti-labour policies.
The strike led to a hartal-like situation in small towns of the district with shops, educational institutions and business establishments remaining closed. Attendance was low in government offices and financial institutions.
Only eight out of the 160 employees turned up for duty at the collectorate here, District collector A. Geetha said.
While private and KSRTC buses, autorickshaws and taxis stayed off the road, two-wheelers and other private vehicles plied. Mananthavadi taluk had been exempted from the strike owing to the Aratu festival at the Sre Bhagavati temple at Valliyoorkavu, near Mananthavady.
No services were operated from Sulthan Bathery and Kalpetta KSRTC depots.
Long queues of vehicles were seen on the Kerala-Karnataka and Kerala-Tamil Nadu borders, including Tholpetty, Muthanga and Thaloor.
No untoward incidents were reported from anywhere in the district, the police said.
