-- Samir Umarye BICHOLIM: The Goa Bandh called in protest against the rise in prices of petrol and other items witnessed very good response with
some stray incidents reported in the taluka. According to the available information the bandh supporters began road block much before the scheduled time and at midnight at several places there were cases of roads being blocked with the help of stones and cutting trees. The police and the fire force was employed to clear the road. In the morning most of the people preferred to keep their shops and other establishments closed and some of them who still opened the shops were asked to close down the shutters. Some of the nationalised banks were functioning eventhough there were hardly any customers. All the government offices in the taluka were open but only few who had their own vehicle came to the office. When this correspondent went to the Mamletdar's office most of the chairs were empty. In the afternoon the SP North, Vijay Singh visited Bicholim and Sanquelim and took stock of the situation. "Overall the bandh has been peaceful in North Goa except some minor incidents reported in some places" Vijay Singh told Herald adding "we have deployed 10 more police personnel in Bicholim from GRPF after some incidents were reported in the taluka." As per police sources in the morning a vehicle (GA-04-T-0971) carrying milk packets belonging to one Mansoor Shekh from Muslimwada Bicholim was stoned. Later, Mansoor registered a formal complaint against the mob. At Mulgao a big trolly was punctured and the agitators tried to block the main road. The mob also went to the Bicholim industrial estate and called upon all to down their shutters. In one stray incident a company was also stoned by the mob. The BJP youth wing leader and Pale MLA, Dr Pramod Sawant who visited Bicholim speaking to Herald denounced the price rise and said that the people from Goa have protested peacefully against the rise in the cost of leaving.