Seemandhra electricity employees on strike from Sunday

The electricity employees of Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions of Andhra Pradesh will go on indefinite strike from Sunday to protest the central government's decision to carve out separate Telangana state.

Over 30,000 electricity employees in Seemandhra, as Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions are collectively known, are likely to join the strike called by Seemandhra electricity employees Joint Action Committee (JAC).

JAC chairman Sai Baba announced that there would be no exemption to emergency services like hospital, water supply and agriculture.

He said the strike would continue till the central government takes back the decision to divide the state.

The strike may affect the electricity generation and supply not just in 13 districts of Seemandhra but may also hit transmission in Hyderabad and other parts of Telangana.

The strike may also hit the southern grid as all four southern states - Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu - are interlinked.

Electricity supply in six districts in coastal Andhra was affected due to the two-day strike by the employees Friday and Saturday. The employees had also observed 72-hour strike last month.

Over six lakh government employees and teachers in Seemandhra are already on indefinite strike from Aug 13.