JOIN USStir over Telangana intensifies
While miners stayed away from mines in the coal belt for the second day, all the cinema theatres in the region shut their doors for the public for 48 hours starting from Wednesday, in support of the strike call given by the Telangana JAC, spearheading the “Sakala Janula Samme” demanding a separate state.
Coal production in the Singareni collieries and other mines in various districts came to a standstill threatening closure of as many as 10 Thermal Power stations in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra.
The Singareni Colliery is suffering a loss of about Rs 25 crore daily as the production of 1,20,000 tonnes of coal, in mines spread over four districts in Telangana, has come to a halt. With coal reserves expected to last only for a few more days, load shedding seems to be imminent if the miners refuse to start mining as the state depends on the company for 35 percent of its thermal power generation.
According to reports coming from districts, more than 75 percent of four lakh employees have struck work and more are expected join the stir in a couple of days.
However work in the state secretariat was not affected as about 85 percent of the employees attended their duties.
The strike led to tension in some offices in Hyderabad as a section of employees refused to join the strike. In the office of the Hyderabad district collector, the supporters of the strike had heated arguments with those who refused to join them. In the office of the district collector in Khammam, striking employees ransacked the office of the joint collector.
According to Telangana employees’ JAC president Swamy Goud the strike was total. “Employees at all levels are participating in the strike and we will continue this till public representatives of all political parties also join the movement,” he said.
JAC leaders claim that the strike by employees has caused a Rs 2,000-crore loss to the government in two days as those working in revenue collection departments are also staying away from duties.
The strike may further intensify as teachers of all government and private schools and colleges plan to join the protest from Friday, while employees of the state-owned Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) would be joining the strike from next Monday.
Schools closed
Schools and colleges in some districts have already closed as both the students and teachers are participating in the movement. The JAC has dared the government to take action against the striking employees. It claimed that the government’s threat to invoke the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) and “no work no pay” rule has failed to deter the employees.