The government's attempt at restoring public transport services in the state road transport corporation failed as efforts made no impact on striking employees across the nine Telangana district on Tuesday.
The APSRTC could revive only about 500 services in Hyderabad following the statement made by the National Muzdoor Union leaders that they had deferred the strike. The management is hopeful that the staff would gradually join the duties in the coming days.
The general strike declared by employees of government and government-run establishments in support of separate statehood for Telangana entered the 29th day on Tuesday even as the state police flexed their muscles by framing criminal charges against Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief K Chandrase-khara Rao and leaders of employees joint action committee (JAC) for inciting people to take law into their hands.
The government's hardening position on the ongoing strike was clearly demonstrated yesterday when chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy said he would not tolerate obstruction to the functioning of educational institutions and public services anymore. Private educational institutions, which have been supporting the strike for fear of agitators' wrath, have been asked by the government to reopen strictly from tomorrow.
Meanwhile, the political JAC, which gave a three-day rail roko call from tomorrow, had postponed the protest programme to October 15-17. The decision to postpone was taken in view of the ensuring byelections to the Bhanswada Assembly constituency in Nizamabad district, according to the leaders.
The chief minister also warned government teachers of serious consequences if they fail to report to duties immediately. In an act of sabotage, some unknown persons reportedly removed fishplates of a railway track causing derailment of a coal carrying goods rail near Ramakrishnapuram of Singareni Coalfields in Adilabad.