Govt employees in Seemandhra join stir

APRTC managing director AK Khan said the corporation would be losing Rs 13 crore a day on account of the stir

State government employees in the Seemandhra region joined the ongoing agitation against bifurcation from Tuesday even as chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy asked officials to make alternative arrangements to keep the essential services unaffected.

Public road transport services in Seemandhra districts have been severely hit after the staff of the AP Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) joined the stir, according to its authorities. RTC managing director AK Khan said the corporation would be losing Rs 13 crore a day on account of the stir.

Meanwhile, the AP non gazetted officers (NGOs) association representing the employees of the Seemandhra region claimed complete response to their strike call, which began from today, in these districts.

However, APNGO members working in the secretariat and other departments in Hyderabad have confined themselves to pen-down protests and signing the attendance registers, according to reports.

At the AP Transco headquarters, employees from both Telangana and Seemandhra regions staged protest demonstrations — one section demanding Bill for bifurcation in the current sessions of Parliament and the other camp opposing it.

Following the directions from the chief minister, the chief secretary held a meeting with principal secretaries and other senior officials of important departments in the wake of strike.

In Visakhapatnam, all shops and commercial establishments remained closed. Auto drivers too participated in the bandh. About 46,000 state government employees boycotted the duties and organised rallies and dharnas. Educational institutes too remained closed.