Partial shutdown in Himachal

Shimla : Banks and commercial establishments were largely opened while shops in some towns of Himachal Pradesh were closed on Monday on the protest call by the Congress over the rise in fuel prices.

However, there was no report of traffic being held up due to the strike. There was also no report of violence anywhere, police officials here said.

However, private bus operators across the state joined the day-long protest, demanding a hike in bus fares.

"The protest is being organized across the state in a silent way without forcing anyone to shut their shops and establishments," a Congress leader told IANS here.

The impact of the Congress shutdown was more in the state capital Shimla and in the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh industrial area in Solan district and Kala Amb in Sirmaur.

There was a partial shutdown in Solan, Dharamsala, Kangra, Palampur, Mandi, Rampur, Kullu and Una and Hamirpur towns.