Protests for united AP intensifies, YSR’s widow begins indefinite fast
21 Aug 2013 4:25 AM IST
The agitation by the pro-united Andhra employees unions against the proposed division of the state would intensify further, its leaders warned on Sunday.
Asserting that invoking the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) would not prevent them from participating in the agitation, they said the stir would be joined by other employees like teachers.
Meanwhile, Y.S. Vijayamma, honorary president of YSR Congress and widow of late Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, on Monday began an indefinite fast demanding the centre refrain from bifurcating the state if it cannot render justice to all the regions.
Speaking on the occasion in Guntur, Vijayamma alleged that the Congress party was acting in an ‘authoritarian’ manner to bifurcate the state for political gains. She said the Congress had failed to do justice to all the regions.
‘It is dividing the state to win 15 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana,’ Vijayamma told party supporters.
In Srikakulam, APNGOs Association president P Ashok Babu threatened to bring emergency services under the ambit of the indefinite strike from 1 September.
He said at least two lakh government employees from Seemandhra region will soon hold a public meeting in Hyderabad to make Centre aware of the strong sentiments of people from Andhra-Rayalaseema regions over united Andhra Pradesh. Babu said the strike would continue irrespective of the state government’s move to clamp ESMA.
‘There will be no let up in indefinite strike being observed in Seemandhra till Congress rolls back its decision on creation of Telangana. Promulgation of ESMA will not have any effect on the strike,’ Babu told a public meeting at Srikakulam. The meeting was organised by the district Joint Action Committee (JAC) representing government employees, RTC employees, advocates, teachers unions and students organisations.
‘Why did government not invoke ESMA when employees from Telangana region observed strike for about 42 days ?..We started the movement just a week back,’ Babu said. Meanwhile, various JAC leaders who also addressed the rally said that ‘alternatives’ would be found out to protect striking employees from the provisions of ESMA.
The Finance Department of Andhra Pradesh government on 17 August, issued an order prohibiting with immediate effect strikes in the treasury, pay and accounts and works accounts wings for the next six months, against the backdrop of the indefinite stir.
The pro-united AP teachers unions’ announced yesterday that they would join the agitation from 21 August. The employees of various departments of the state government had begun an indefinite strike on 13 August. Protests by pro-united AP employees in Hyderabad continued on Monday with the staff of power utilities taking out a protest here.
Asserting that invoking the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) would not prevent them from participating in the agitation, they said the stir would be joined by other employees like teachers.
Meanwhile, Y.S. Vijayamma, honorary president of YSR Congress and widow of late Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, on Monday began an indefinite fast demanding the centre refrain from bifurcating the state if it cannot render justice to all the regions.
Speaking on the occasion in Guntur, Vijayamma alleged that the Congress party was acting in an ‘authoritarian’ manner to bifurcate the state for political gains. She said the Congress had failed to do justice to all the regions.
‘It is dividing the state to win 15 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana,’ Vijayamma told party supporters.
In Srikakulam, APNGOs Association president P Ashok Babu threatened to bring emergency services under the ambit of the indefinite strike from 1 September.
He said at least two lakh government employees from Seemandhra region will soon hold a public meeting in Hyderabad to make Centre aware of the strong sentiments of people from Andhra-Rayalaseema regions over united Andhra Pradesh. Babu said the strike would continue irrespective of the state government’s move to clamp ESMA.
‘There will be no let up in indefinite strike being observed in Seemandhra till Congress rolls back its decision on creation of Telangana. Promulgation of ESMA will not have any effect on the strike,’ Babu told a public meeting at Srikakulam. The meeting was organised by the district Joint Action Committee (JAC) representing government employees, RTC employees, advocates, teachers unions and students organisations.
‘Why did government not invoke ESMA when employees from Telangana region observed strike for about 42 days ?..We started the movement just a week back,’ Babu said. Meanwhile, various JAC leaders who also addressed the rally said that ‘alternatives’ would be found out to protect striking employees from the provisions of ESMA.
The Finance Department of Andhra Pradesh government on 17 August, issued an order prohibiting with immediate effect strikes in the treasury, pay and accounts and works accounts wings for the next six months, against the backdrop of the indefinite stir.
The pro-united AP teachers unions’ announced yesterday that they would join the agitation from 21 August. The employees of various departments of the state government had begun an indefinite strike on 13 August. Protests by pro-united AP employees in Hyderabad continued on Monday with the staff of power utilities taking out a protest here.
Next Story
