Minister of State for Home Haren Pandya in a statement on the eve of the bandh said that a police control room has been set up here at the Circuit House annexe. He said all strategic points and highways in the State would be monitored strictly. Apart from 40,000 police jawans, 19 companies of State Reserve Police, 12,000 jawans of Home Guard, 12 companies of Border Wing Home Guard and four companies of Rapid Action Force have been deployed.

In Ahmedabad, 4,000 local policemen will be assisted by 4,000 Home Guard jawans, SRP and Rapid Action Force to maintain law and order during the bandh.

The government has also requisitioned around 25 private vehicles each in each police commissionerate and district police headquarters to supplement its vehicles. This is besides the 35 vehicles at the disposal of state traffic branch, of which it has requisitioned for 20. Special task forces under district magistrates have been formed to keep highways open.

The Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the BJP and some trade associations have urged people to ignore the bandh call terming it as mistimed and against the interests of people at a time when parts of the State were reeling under floods. GCCI president Utkarsh Shah has urged all political parties to sit together and formulate a strategy to arrest `abnormal rise' in the prices of essential commodities.

BJP spokesman Bharat Pandya has said his party would fight out any elements not caring for the flood affected people of the State and trying to put them to ransom by calling for a State bandh. However, RJP State president Madhusudan Mistry has appealed to party workers in the flood-hit areas to help out people instead of wasting energy in making Friday's Gujarat Bandh a success. The RJP has set up a control room at its Ahmedabad office. Party workers led by Vipul Chaudhary took out a rally in the city on Thursday to mobilise opinion for the bandh. The Congress has also urged various labour unions to make the bandh a success and not get excited by the VHP-Bajrang Dal provocations.