Hyderabad/New Delhi: Protests continued in Andhra Pradesh’s Seemandhra against the central government’s decision to carve out Telangana, while life was hit hard in many parts of the region as the talks to end electricity employees’ strike failed yesterday.
No respite was in sight as the employees decided to continue their three-day-old strike — which has affected hospitals, water supply, trains and even Internet and ATM services — after talks between Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and leaders of electricity employees’ Joint Action Committee failed.
JAC leaders told reporters after the meeting that they would continue the strike till they receive a clear assurance that the state will not be divided. They also rejected the chief minister’s appeal to exempt emergency services.
The central government, which ruled out imposing President’s rule in the state, late yesterday announced setting up of a seven-member group of ministers (GoM) to look into issues of the bifurcation.
In Seemandhra (Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions), the state machinery continued to be paralysed while government-run schools remained shut as over six lakh government employees and teachers persisted with their strike, which began on
August 12.
Buses of the state-owned road transport corporation have remained off the roads for nearly two months now.
Official sources said the GoM will look into distribution of resources like financial assets, water, electricity and government staff, and reorganisation of assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies, and make recommendations on the boundaries of Telangana.
It comprises Defence Minister A K Antony, Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Petroleum Minister M Veerappa Moily and Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh.
Government employees and students staged demonstrations outside central government offices and nationalised banks. They also tried to blockade the residences of central and state ministers, members of parliament and state legislature.
Vizianagaram town in coastal Andhra remained under curfew for the fourth day. Curfew was relaxed for one hour in the morning.
About 30,000 employees of power utilities in Seemandhra’s 13 districts stayed away from work, almost paralysing generation and transmission.
The strike has plunged several towns and hundreds of villages in darkness. Production in hundreds of industries also has come to a grinding halt.
The state has a demand of 11,000 MW, but only 7,200 MW is being supplied.
In the national capital, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N Chandrababu Naidu continued his hunger strike for the second day, demanding talks with the leaders of all regions of the state to find an amicable solution to the current turmoil.
IANS
