Hyderabad, September 30: The Telangana agitation was further intensified on Thursday with the activists making their presence felt across the region on the 17th day of Sakala Janula Samme or people’s general strike by holding protests before the residences of elected representatives. The RTC strike in the region too entered the 11th day on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the proposed Secretariat bandh on Thursday was called off following the release of three drivers by the police. However, the attendance in the State Secretariat was said to be below 50 per cent. Following Secretariat bandh call, the security was stepped up with the Rapid Action Force and Task Force personnel standing guard at all the blocks. The agitators assembled at the J-block for some time, raised pro-Telangana slogans and then dispersed.
With the exception of staff stir the seat of power remained quiet with the absence of Telangana ministers and they were closely followed by their counterparts from Seemandhra regions, who chose to boycott their chambers. Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy also functioned from his camp office apparently due to the on-going strike.
Officials said that the routine and emergency office files have piled up and the administration suffered due to non-clearance of even important or urgent files. Ministers from Seemandhra were expected to function as they were outside the purview of the strike, but they also remained out of the business and their constituents also stopped visiting the Secretariat as seen at the main entrance.
At the main gate, the security personnel outnumbered the visitors, who were stranded as the staff that issues passes kept off from their duties. After the strike commenced the visitors’ strength came down as their public representatives were away or were operating from their homes.
At various other places in the city and districts the Telangana activists displayed their mettle by trying to barge into the residences of the ministers and legislators to register their protest. In Ranga Reddy district, the Telangana activists ransacked the office of electricity department at Tandur.
——Agencies