Seemandhra in the grip of anti-bifurcation agitation

Govt employees to intensify stir

Leaders of government employees spearheading the ongoing stir against the state bifurcation said they would further intensify their agitation from September 1, even as the government hardened its stand by threatening to use the Essential Services Maintenance Act (Esma) and no-work, no-pay rule.

Ashok Babu, president of Andhra Pradesh Non-Gazetted Officers (NGOs) Association representing the employees from the Seemandhra region, today said they would not withdraw their agitation even if the government initiates action against the protesting employees. He further said they would intensify  the agitation and also planned to hold a rally demanding the status quo in Hyderabad.

On the political front, YSR Congress party president Vijayamma launched an indefinite fast  at Vijayawada on Monday in protest against the ruling party’s “arbitrary handling” of the separate statehood demand.

Though the YSR Congress did not openly oppose bifurcation, it, however, took serious exception to the Congress Working Committee (CWC)’s decision on formation of Telangana state with Hyderabad as the capital. This has triggered a fresh bout of desertions among its ranks in the Telangana region.

Political protests continued across several towns in the Seemandhra region with leaders of all political parties, including Congress and Telugu Desam, taking part in the anti-bifurcation stir.

According to reports, the counselling programme for admissions into engineering colleges has been disrupted in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Anantapur and Tirupati as the staff deployed in these centres have boycotted the duties.

Tensions rose between the pro- and anti-bifurcation camps in Vidyut Saudha, the headquarters of state power utilities APTransco and APGenco, when political leaders chose to participate in support of the two factions. Police had been deployed in the secretariat and Vidyut Saudha.

Meanwhile, a host of public interest litigations (PILs) was filed in the Andhra Pradesh high court on Monday and one of them has sought the imposition of President rule in the state on the grounds that the governance has collapsed in the aftermath of a decision to bifurcate the state.

Another PIL requested the court to declare the ongoing strike of the Seemandhra employees as illegal. The court posted the hearing on  these petitions to August 26.