Pen-down protest at secretariat continues

CM N Kiran Kumar Reddy remained confined to his official residence since the day the CWC announced its decision on Telangana on July 31

State secretariat employees belonging to the Seemandhra region on Monday continued their pen-down protest besides sitting in a dharna in front of the chief minister's office even as the announcement of the division of Andhra Pradesh is slowly impacting the administration at large.

Preoccupied with the political exigencies arising out of protest resignations and the mounting pressure from Seemandhra leaders, chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy remained confined to his official residence since the day the CWC announced its decision on Telangana on July 31.

Interestingly, the government was indifferent to the secretariat employees' protest, which started on Saturday, even though the protesting staff now forms almost 60 per cent of the total staff. Visitors to the secretariat complained that the work in various sections has almost come to a standstill as the staff of both the regions are busy discussing their service matters following the bifurcation.

Leaders of the Andhra Pradesh Non Gazetted Officers (APNGOs) Association representing government employees of the Seemandhra region on Monday met Opposition leader N Chandrababu Naidu seeking his support for the status quo.

Yesterday, the association had threatened to launch an indefinite strike from the midnight of August 12 if public representatives, including ministers and MPs from the coastal Andhra region, fail to submit their resignations against the state bifurcation. The administrative work has already come to a standstill in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema districts as the government employees are taking active part in protest rallies.

According to officials, several administrative decisions such as recruitments in various government departments, are unlikely to be implemented as these recruitments follow a particular sub-regional formula which now becomes irrelevant with the state getting divided.

Sources said the government was in no mood to complete even the election process for municipalities citing the law and order situation in the Seemandhra region.

Disruption in Brandix apparel city
Production at the Brandix apparel city at Atchutapuram in Visakhapatnam was hit as Seemandhra agitators today stopped trucks carrying its staff near Munagapaka area here.

Operations of long route buses were also totally stopped.