Normalcy returns in Seemandhra
Hyderabad: After more than two months of agitations, normalcy returned to Seemandhra region with government employees returning to their duties on Friday.
Government offices in all 13 districts of Seemandhra re-opened after 66 days as over four lakh employees resumed work, a day after they decided to call off the indefinite strike over the Central government's decision to bifurcate the state.
As the offices were closed for over two months, a thick layer of dust had deposited on the files, while computers and other infrastructure were in disarray. The staff was seen busy in cleaning the offices.
People in large numbers queued up at various offices to get their pending works done. The state machinery was crippled since August 13 when employees began their indefinite strike opposing the bifurcation.
Various associations of the employees on Thursday called off their strike after Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy assured to write a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to ensure that the Telangana issue was referred to the state Assembly twice.
The Chief Minister also assured them that the Telangana bill would be defeated in the Assembly and that there was no change in his stand that the state should remain united.
Andhra Pradesh Non-Gazetted Officers (APNGOs) president P Ashok Babu said they had temporarily called off the strike. He said if the Central government took any further step for bifurcation, they would not hesitate to go on strike again.
With the government employees calling off their strike, normalcy has been restored in Seemandhra, which was in turmoil ever since the Congress decided to form the state of Telangana.
Last week, over two lakh teachers and employees of the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) withdrew their strike following successful talks with the Chief Minister.
Schools and colleges re-opened on Thursday after two months and RTC buses started running all their services. The withdrawal of strike by various sections of employees has considerably brought down the intensity of Samaikyandhra agitation.
News Posted: 19 October, 2013
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