Seemandhra employees begin indefinite strike

Opposing bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, government employees in Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions on Thursday began an indefinite strike.

Opposing bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, government employees in Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions on Thursday began an indefinite strike.

The official machinery in Seemandhra, as the two regions are together called, came to a halt as the government offices remained closed.

Andhra Pradesh Non-Gazetted Officers' (APNGOs) Association has claimed that over 400,000 employees are participating in the strike in 13 districts.

They are demanding the central government not table in Parliament the bill for formation of separate Telangana state as the same was rejected in both the houses of the state legislature.

Agitating employees took to streets in some parts of Seemandhra. APNGOs staged a sit-in in temple town of Tirupati and formed a human chain to protest against the centre's attempts to table the bill in Parliament.

The employees and over 200,000 teachers had gone on strike for nearly two months last year to protest the centre's decision to bifurcate the state.

APNGOs president Ashok Babu said the employees would stage sit-in at the residences of central ministers and MPs and at the government offices February 7 and 8.

The employees' body has also called for three-day shutdown in Seemandhra February 10, 11 and 12.

It has also called for 'chalo Delhi' February 17, 18 and 19 to mount pressure on the central government not to table the bill.