Several government and non-government associations have extended their support to the strike call given by the APNGOs. The employees union of Kakinada Port too has decided to go on 48-hour strike in support of Saimakhyandhra agitation. Therefore, the Anchorage Port and Deep Water Port will not function on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Seemandhra Petrol Bunk Owners Association too have extended support to the strike and decided to keep all petrol bunks close for 24-hours from Monday midnight.

With 6,600 RTC employees joining the strike, nearly 12,000 buses remained parked on 123 depots across the State. They include 3,300 buses in 32 depots of Vijayawada division and 1,356 buses of 14 depots of Krishna Division.

The government doctors will join the strike from Tuesday. However, they would attend to emergency duties in government hospitals.

Meanwhile, the representatives of the student JACs of 14 universities from Seemandhra region called for a bandh in all 13 districts on Tuesday in support of the APNGOs Association’s general strike.

APNGOs president P Ashok Babu said that the strike would not be called off unless the Centre reverses its decision on division of State. Further, he dismissed having negotiations with the AK Antony Committee as its official status was not clear. Earlier, the APNGOs served the final strike notice to Chief Secretary Dr PK Mohanty and later staged a blind fold protest in the State Secretariat. They also tried to gherao ministers including Finance Minister Anam Ramnarayan Reddy demanding their resignations.

The APNGOs strike, if prolonged for long, will cripple the normal life as it was witnessed during 48-day long “Sakala Janula Samme” (general strike) called by Telangana Employees in 2011.

Addressing a press conference after the Association’s meeting here, APNGOs president Ashok Babu said that all political leaders, belonging to all political parties, should quit their posts by August 12. He said that the APNGOs would go on strike from August 12 midnight and all services, including emergency services, would be boycotted. He said that the employees from Seemandhra region were feeling insecure after the announcement of formation of Telangana State.

Ashok Babu said that no political party or leader had a right to ask Seemandhra employees or people to leave Hyderabad, he said that such moves would be countered by the APNGOs. He also said that a public meeting would also be organised in Hyderabad by August 15.

- INN

Talking to reporters here, TRS MLA T Harish Rao alleged that the APNGOs’ proposed rally was aimed at sabotaging Telangana movement and to display the strength of Seemandhra officials in the city. However, he warned of dire consequences if the State Government permits the rally. Stating that the TRS would not have objected if the union was serious about highlight the problems being faced by the government. However, he alleged that the organisers were trying to promote united Andhra Pradesh by holding the rally.

Harish Rao also informed that 20 TRS MLAs would conduct a Bus Yatra on Wednesday to Mahbubnagar to expresses solidarity with the TPJAC’s proposed Sadak Bandh agitation. He also warned the government against filing cases against the pro-Telangana activists. INN