Bus strike, power cuts cripple Telangana
News pulse, Politics | admin | September 21, 2011 at 4:18 am
Normal life was crippled for the second consecutive day on Tuesday with RTC buses remaining off the road and power cuts being imposed across the Telangana region. The RTC tried to operate its services with police protection and allowed private bus operators to run services in Hyderabad and parts of Telangana but people found the services inadequate . In an attempt to paralyse the Secretariat, Telangana employees convinced their colleagues from other regions to leave their desks. Bowing to pressure, they, along with a few T employees on duty, left their seats without clearing the files.
Activists of the TRS women’s wing tried to lay siege to the house of Congress spokesperson Renuka Chowdary at Banjara Hills protesting against her statement that the general strike was not a success. There was mild tension when the police evicted and arrested them. A human chain was formed by Telangana employees in front of the Gandhi Bhavan at Nampally demanding separate Telangana state. TRS activists led by Telangana Jagruti leader K Kavitha tried to lay siege to the Legislative Assembly but were thwarted by the police. Students of Nizam College staged a demonstration demanding action against DCP Akun Sabharwal who ordered lathicharge in which several students suffered severe injuries on Monday. Nizam College principal Ashok Naidu resigned under pressure from students.
Though the protests remained by and large peaceful, violence erupted at a few places as TRS and BJP activists, accompanied by government employees, obstructed buses from entering the Telangana region from other parts of the state. Though there was no call for road blockade, activists continued to obstruct private buses at Ashwaraopeta in Khammam district, a point of entry from Andhra, and at Alampur in Mahaboobnagar district, a point of entry from Rayalaseema. RTC buses coming from Vijayawada were forced at Ashwaraopeta to return to their depots without passengers. Though the management held talks with employees, the latter declared later that they would not call off the strike without a firm assurance on a T state.
Of the fleet of about 10,500 buses in Telangana, just about 130 in Hyderabad and 30 in the rest of the region were operated. Officials denied some media reports that RTC buses had been attacked at some places. Commuters depended mainly on private vehicles, autorickshaws and taxis. There was rush for local and MMTS trains which were operated with additional bogies.
Related posts:
- Telangana supporters cripple rail services
- RTC strike off? Where are the buses?
- Few state-run buses return on Telangana roads
- Pay cuts for govt staff on strike
- The ‘power’ of Telangana set to strike Maharashtra
- ‘Sakala Janula Samme’ reaches CM’s office, strike continues
- Telangana on boil, strike continues
- Telangana strike at its peak on seventh day
- Transport employees strike paralyse Telangana
- Strike continues in Telangana
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