As 2G Drowns Government, Andhra Pradesh Sinks Sans Attention

Train services across Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh came to a standstill on Saturday following the 36-hour 'rail roko' call given by Telangana JAC as a part of the 'Sakal Janula Samme' (general strike by all sections) over the demand of separate Telangana state.

Activists of Pro-Telangana parties including TRS and BJP staged demonstrations and squatted on the tracks at various railway stations in Telangana districts and in Hyderabad city on Saturday.

Railway travellers had a harrowing time with the South Central Railway (SCR) cancelling 55 express trains and 222 MMTS services.

Adding to the woes of commuters in the city, autorickshaws, which have been the main mode of transport for people after employees of the State-run Road Transport Corporation (RTC) joined the strike five day back, would also go off the roads on Saturday with various autorickshaw drivers’ unions responding to the TJAC call to all sections of society to participate in the 1-day-old agitation to achieve the goal of separate statehood for Telangana

District bus-services are the worst-affected, while very few city buses are plying on the road in Hyderabad. Secunderabad, Kachiguda and Nampally railway stations in Hyderabad wore a deserted look.

"In view of 'rail roko' protest, passenger train services have been cancelled already. There have been reports of stoppage of goods trains at some places in Telangana region, however the overall situation so far is peaceful," Inspector-General, Government Railway Police, V S K Kaumudi said.

Additional forces including state police personnel had been deployed in Telangana districts to protect railway property, he said.

Saturday and Sunday, the trains on the Vikarabad-Parli, Secunderabad-Kazipet, Secunderabad-Wadi, Nadikudi-Bibinagar, Secunderabad-Mudkhed, Secunderabad-Dhone, Dornakal-Manuguru, Vijayawada-Kazipet-Ballarshah, Nizamabad-Bhodan, Peddapalli-Jagtiyal and Adilabad-Kinwat sections have been cancelled/partially cancelled or diverted and rescheduled.

The general strike demanding separate Telangana state entered the 13th day on Saturday and has virtually led to a total failure of all functions of the State and if it persists there will be a total shutdown. The Congress steering committee on Telangana has asked CM Kiran Reddy to inform Center about the real situation instead trying to use force on the agitators.

The Govt employees and civic workers support to the strike has stopped al administration work in Secretariat. Administration routine work too has stopped and even removal of garbage and other daily chores have been stopped for ten days. Workers in Singaneri coal mines strike has led to power shut downs. State is invoking ESMA on striking workers and arresting coal mine workers to break the movement. Govt School is open without teachers.

The Chief Minister has agreed to invite the employees’ leaders for talks in a day or two,” MPs Ponnam Prabhakar and G Vivekananda told reporters at the end of the meeting.”We requested the Chief Minister to send a factual report to the Center on the prevailing situation in Telangana and the strong sentiment of the people for a separate state,” they added.

From day began the rail blockade, the second in less than three months, will snap the link between Hyderabad and other destinations in south and north India. The rail transport between Telangana and two other regions of the state will also be paralyzed IT, has announced cancellation of 55 express and 176 passenger trains over the next two days.