Shutdown hits Telangana

Strike against Centre's decision to promulgate an ordinance merging seven mandals of Khammam district with residual AP

Normal life was affected across Telangana on Thursday as a shutdown was observed in the region in response to a bandh call given by Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) president and chief minister-designate, K Chandrasekhara Rao.

With TRS leaders staging demonstrations outside the depots of the state-owned Road Transport Corporation, bus services were suspended all over Telangana. Shops and other business establishments remained closed, while the Board of Intermediate Education postponed the supplementary examinations being held in the state.   

The TRS chief called for a day-long shutdown in protest against the Centre’s decision to promulgate an ordinance merging seven mandals  of Khammam district with the residual AP to ensure there is no inter-state dispute in future over construction of the Polavaram irrigation project.

Rao said any decision in this regard should be taken in consultation with the two states of Telangana and residual AP, which would be notified on June 2.

However, Union   Urban  Development and Parliamentary Affairs minister, M Venkaiah Naidu, said the  Modi Cabinet had approved what had been decided by the previous Manmohan Singh government. “There is no controversy. That issue has been decided,” he told mediapersons.