Employee strike again in Seemandhra

T-tangle: 114 government departments adversely affected

Around four lakh government employees in the 13 districts of the Seemandhra region of Andhra Pradesh, including the state capital,  commenced their second phase of struggle for Samaikyandhra by boycotting work from Thursday. 

As a result work in 114 government departments were adversely affected, especially the revenue and treasury department. 

However, class work for SSC students were spared from strike, considering the future of students. 

Once again, the government employees and students took to the streets in response to the strike call given by the APNGOs protesting Central government’s move to introduce the AP Reorganization Bill in Parliament. APNGOs who spearheaded 66 days of shut down in Seemandhra few months ago bringing the administration in the 13 district, including in the state capital to a grinding halt, is keen to continue the strike till the end of the present Parliament session.

During the first phase, APSRTC and electricity employees and students' boycott had crippled the state administration.

The strike was called off following the intervention of the chief minister. Although, the APNGOs said that they would resume the agitation any time if the Union government goes ahead with the formation of Telangana state. 

Since the final stage in the formation of Telangana state has come with the AP Reorganization Bill being  readied for introduction in Parliament, the APNGOs decided to re-launch their agitation and accordingly struck work from midnight.

Once again the streets in Vijayawadam Kurnool, Anantapur, Vizag were swarmed with agitating employees and students, who organized rallies and dharnas demanding Samaikyandhra. The striking employees also expressed their ire over the nine Union ministers from the region for agreeing to cooperate in the passage of the T-bill provided their charter of demands were accepted.

APNGOs president Ashok Babu said the employees would stage sit-in at the residences of the Union ministers and MPs, and also at government offices on Friday and Saturday. The union has also called for a three-day shutdown of the region from February 10. A “Chalo Delhi” will be organised from   February 17 in an effort to to prevent the bill from coming up in Parliament.

Meanwhile, taking strong objection to the Union ministers of the state playing the politics of convenience by giving suggestions to the Group of Ministers (GoM), YSR Congress has said some of Congress and Telugu Desam Party leaders are placing business and personal interests ahead of the people’s will and the token protests by them on Delhi streets remain as a cry in the wilderness.

“It is shameful on part of the Union ministers to give suggestion to the GoM even in the last minute instead of voicing a strong resentment over the bill. They were never sincere in the fight for a united state and have been cooperating with the high command throughout and they have been playing politics of convenience,” party spokesperson Vasireddy Padma told reporters here on Thursday.