RANCHI, June 26: Maoist rebels in eastern India blew up a section of railway track, attacked trains and paralysed public transport at the start of a 48-hour blockade aimed at derailing government plans to establish special economic zones.

The rebels called the strike in the states of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Bihar as part of an increasingly violent effort to prevent the setting up of the low-tax business hubs.

India’s government is planning to build about 250 SEZs across the country, hoping the projects will attract foreign investors, radically improve infrastructure and create new jobs while maintaining the country’s blistering economic growth figures.

The latest strike by the Maoists -- who say they are fighting for the rights of neglected tribes and landless farmers and are active in half of India’s 29 states — has seen government forces again step up security in the east.

But several attacks were reported, with the Maoists cementing their reputation as one of the biggest threats to India's internal security.

A goods train engine was blown up and another set ablaze in Jharkhand. Bus services were disrupted and shops and other businesses were closed, police said.

“Barring a few incidents the economic blockade has been peaceful,” said G.S. Rath, a senior Jharkhand police official.

“The Maoists have carried out a few incidents but no deaths or injuries have taken place. The security forces are on high alert to deal with any untoward incidents.” In neighbouring Chhattisgarh state, where 55 policemen were shot dead by Maoists in March, police said the blockade had brought rail and road traffic to a standstill.

Shops in the state’s vast Bastar region, a hotbed of Maoist activity, also downed their shutters. The other areas affected included Dantewada, Nerayanpur and Bijapur districts.

Large parts of the state remained without power, as rebels targeted two electricity towers in Bijapur, about 500 kilometres from Chhattisgarh state capital Raipur, officials said.

Senior police official R.K. Vij said security personnel had been put on high alert to ward off any surprise attacks. Police and paramilitary forces had been despatched to areas designated vulnerable, he said.

In the eastern state of Bihar, two explosions were reported from near railway tracks early on Tuesday.

The controversial SEZ scheme, launched in 2005, has met with massive protests from those living on land earmarked for such zones.

In an incident earlier this year, 14 farmers were shot dead by police during a protest in West Bengal state.

Opponents say the government is sidelining the still-crucial farm sector, which employs more than 60 per cent of the Indian workforce and generates over a fifth of India’s gross domestic product.—AFP