APNGOs stir to continue,talks failed

Talks between Andhra Pradesh government and striking Non-Gazetted Officers Association, to end the ongoing indefinite strike by government employees failed. The APNGOs association vowed to continue agitation against proposed bifurcation of the state even as Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy sought to assure them that he would not let the state be divided as long as he remained the chief minister.

Mr. Reddy held talks for over three hours with the APNGOs association leaders at the state Secretariat here this afternoon to end the impasse, caused due to the indefinite strike by government employees in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions, launched on August 12 in protest against the proposed bifurcation of the state.

“The Chief Minister requested us to call off the strike to avoid inconvenience to the people. He assured us that he would not let the state be divided as long as he remained the Chief Minister. But we told him that the strike will continue till a specific assurance was given on the bifurcation issue,” NGOs Association leader U. Murali Krishna told reporters after the meeting.

The NGOs association said it would discuss the government’s proposal with its general body and take a decision on ending the strike.

“We will get back to the Cabinet Sub-Committee in a day or two after discussing the issue with our general body,” Mr. Murali Krishna added.

The chief minister requested the employees to bear in the mind the cyclone threat to the coastal region and withdraw the strike to meet any emergency.

The NGOs Association, however, assured the chief minister that employees of revenue, panchayat raj and other departments concerned would take part in relief and rescue operations in case of cyclone despite being on strike, its president P. Ashok Babu said.

The Association requested the chief minister to lead a delegation of employees to New Delhi to present their concerns to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and others over the proposed bifurcation of the state.

Meanwhile, several parts of Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema continued to reel under power crisis as the electricity employees continued their strike in protest against the division of Andhra Pradesh.

The power generation remained crippled at the major power stations including Vijayawada thermal power station and the Rayalaseema thermal power station.

Prolonged power cuts continued in the Seemandhra regions and even cities like Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada were no exception as the indefinite strike of the electricity employees entered the fourth day on Wednesday.




Meanwhile, government is planning to rope in NTPC and Power Grid Corporation to provide electricity to Andhra Pradesh.

“We are doing something. NTPC and PowerGrid will provide electricity to Andhra Pradesh,” Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde told reporters here when asked about government’s plan to restore electricity in Seemandhra region in Andhra Pradesh.