Bankura, Oct 6 (UNI) Maoists today called for a bandh in Purulia, Bankura and West Midnapore districts, protesting the alleged nexus between the ruling party and the ration dealers in the state.

A 12-hour bandh had been called in Purulia and Bankura districts while Midnapore observed a 24-hour bandh in protest against the 'corrupted ration dealers'.

In West Midnapore, according to leaflets distributed earlier, the Maoists also agitated against the setting up of heavy industries in rural areas of the state bringing suffering to the people.

However, train serices were not disrupted in Adra, Kharagpur and Asansol divisions of Eastern and South Eastern Railways respectively. Bandh in naxal-dominated Bandwan(Purulia) and Barikul(Bankura) had been almost total.

West Midnapore SP R Rajshekharan said, ''The bandh affected life in the western part of the district in Belpahari, Binpur, Lalgarh, Jamboni and some parts of Jhargram sub-division.'' Schools and colleges remained closed, markets and shops did not open and bus services were completely paralysed.

No untoward incident has been reported so far in any of the three districts.

A procession was taken out by the CPI(M) in Jhargram in protest against the Bandh.

UNI