Kolkata, Mar 9 : The Kamatpur Progressive Party (KPP) has organised a 24-hour shutdown in four districts of West Bengal on Monday to protest against the administration's refusal to permit a KPP rally that was to be held at Maynaguri in Jalpaiguri district today.

Three districts Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri and North Dinajpur saw partial response while it was total in Darjeeling hills.

The Gorkha Jana Mukti Morcha has given its total support to the shutdown in Darjeeling.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) general secretary and the former Lok Sabha Speaker P. A. Sangma said he was in total support of the KPP's demand for constitutional recognition of Kamatpuri district.

Meanwhile, Rabindranath Hembram has been sworn in as Minister of State. The State Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi administered the oath of office and secrecy to him at Rajbhavan in Kolkata on Monday morning.

The Chief Minister Bhudadeb Bhattacharjee and his cabinet colleagues, State Left Front Chairman Biman Basu were also present on the occasion. (ANI)