 "Andhra stir against Telangana continues")
Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy has begun talks with the staff of striking power utilities in Andhra Pradesh’s coastal and Rayalaseema regions (Seemandhra).
The strike is part of the general protest in these two regions against the decision to split Andhra Pradesh to form a new state of Telangana. State government employees and road transport unions in Seemaandhra have been protesting stir for about two months; the power unions strike began at the end of last week.
Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and Congress’ general secretary in charge of Andhra affairs, Digvijay Singh, also made appeals to the striking employees on Tuesday, promising to look into grievances arising out of the proposed bifurcation.
Chief Minister Kiran Reddy, who has lately been vocal in opposing the Telanagana decision, hasn’t tried much in these two months to restore normalcy. The government neither put in place any alternative measures to keep essential services operating in Seemandhra or threatened to invoke laws such as the Essential Services Maintenance Act, as it had done when Telangana was on the boil last year.
Power supply remained disrupted in most of the 13 districts of coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema on Tuesday, though the staff of the Eastern Distribution Company (EPDCL) reportedly restored power on Monday night in five districts, fearing adverse reaction from the public. Also, reports reaching here said supply was restored to the industrial belt in Visakhapatnam. Staff of both EPDCL and the Southern Power Discom, which together cover supply to coastal and Rayalaseema districts, said they were on strike for a third day on Tuesday. A four-hour meeting on Tuesday afternoon between leaders of the striking staff at the chief minister's camp office remained inconclusive.
However, the railways said normalcy had been restored. “There was no cancellation of trains, which are on schedule,” said a spokesman of the South Central Railway.
Kiran Reddy’s suddenly-vocal belated opposition to bifurcation has puzzled some in the Congress. Some allege it is being done with the full knowledge of the party leadership in Delhi, to keep the morale of the party up in Seemandhra. Others interpret it as an effort to upstage other leaders in the competition within and outside the party on who would emerge as champion of the Seemandhra cause.
The CM has already stated that the interests of the people of Seemandhra were more important for him than the official chair he now has.
According to party insiders, the release of YSR Congress president Jagan Mohan Reddy on bail last month has added to Reddy's frustration, as this party is likely to consolidate its position at the expense of the Congress in this region. If this happens, Kiran Reddy might become a nonentity after the next elections.
Central leaders from Andhra who are ministers in the government have not pressed for acceptance of their resignations but stayed away from work. Their resignations have not been sent yet by the Prime Minister to the President.
The strike is part of the general protest in these two regions against the decision to split Andhra Pradesh to form a new state of Telangana. State government employees and road transport unions in Seemaandhra have been protesting stir for about two months; the power unions strike began at the end of last week.
Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and Congress’ general secretary in charge of Andhra affairs, Digvijay Singh, also made appeals to the striking employees on Tuesday, promising to look into grievances arising out of the proposed bifurcation.
Chief Minister Kiran Reddy, who has lately been vocal in opposing the Telanagana decision, hasn’t tried much in these two months to restore normalcy. The government neither put in place any alternative measures to keep essential services operating in Seemandhra or threatened to invoke laws such as the Essential Services Maintenance Act, as it had done when Telangana was on the boil last year.
Power supply remained disrupted in most of the 13 districts of coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema on Tuesday, though the staff of the Eastern Distribution Company (EPDCL) reportedly restored power on Monday night in five districts, fearing adverse reaction from the public. Also, reports reaching here said supply was restored to the industrial belt in Visakhapatnam. Staff of both EPDCL and the Southern Power Discom, which together cover supply to coastal and Rayalaseema districts, said they were on strike for a third day on Tuesday. A four-hour meeting on Tuesday afternoon between leaders of the striking staff at the chief minister's camp office remained inconclusive.
However, the railways said normalcy had been restored. “There was no cancellation of trains, which are on schedule,” said a spokesman of the South Central Railway.
Kiran Reddy’s suddenly-vocal belated opposition to bifurcation has puzzled some in the Congress. Some allege it is being done with the full knowledge of the party leadership in Delhi, to keep the morale of the party up in Seemandhra. Others interpret it as an effort to upstage other leaders in the competition within and outside the party on who would emerge as champion of the Seemandhra cause.
The CM has already stated that the interests of the people of Seemandhra were more important for him than the official chair he now has.
According to party insiders, the release of YSR Congress president Jagan Mohan Reddy on bail last month has added to Reddy's frustration, as this party is likely to consolidate its position at the expense of the Congress in this region. If this happens, Kiran Reddy might become a nonentity after the next elections.
Central leaders from Andhra who are ministers in the government have not pressed for acceptance of their resignations but stayed away from work. Their resignations have not been sent yet by the Prime Minister to the President.