For the second day in succession, the APNGOs persuaded the Central government organisations such as nationalised banks, Central Excise Department, Insurance companies and the BSNL to down their shutters, protesting against the proposed bifurcation of the State, here on Saturday.
“The Central Government employees understood our problems and expressed their solidarity towards our cause,” said city president of APNGOs Koneru Ravi. Former city president of APNGOs G. Nageswara Rao told The Hindu that the core committee members of the organisation from all the 13 Seemandhra districts would meet on Monday to formalise the action plan for October.
“It has been over 60 days that we have been on strike and the Centre or the Congress Working Committee has not responded. We intend to take it up in a more aggressive fashion from next month,” he said.
Heaping praises on Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy for his detailed analysis in support of Samaikyandhra in a press meet on Friday, Mr. Ravi said, “The CM has strengthened our resolve. Be it 60 days or 600 days, we shall not budge from our stand till the CWC takes back its decision on bifurcation of the State.”
He also told The Hindu that on October 2, the APNGOs will organise a ‘Rythu Garjana’ at Hanuman Junction, where over one lakh farmers were expected to attend. “Even the farmers from the Seemandhra region were on our side and they were prepared for a crop holiday protesting the bifurcation,” he said.
“This was our crucial PRC (performance review) time and we have lost over Rs.100 crore in salaries. Many of us have pledged gold ornaments or have applied for personal loans to keep the fire burning at homes. But we are united and shall fight it out,” said Mr. Ravi.
In such trying times, a few nationalised banks had come forward to give loans up to Rs. 50,000 as festival advance. “Our convenor Vidyasagar has spoken to a few banks in this regard and they have agreed to sanction the loans in October. The loans will be given as per the salary status,” said the Joint Secretary of APNGOs V.V. Prasad.
In the evening the Student JAC led by Devineni Avinash held a candle light vigil at the Ramavarappadu Ring. Over two hundred students holding candles and torches participated in the vigil.
The YSR Congress led by its Central constituency in-charge P. Gowtham Reddy organised a padayatra in the 55 division. The padayatra will continue till October 12 and will cover all the 21 divisions in the Central constituency, he said.
“The idea is to educate people on the ills of bifurcation,” said Mr. Gowtham Reddy.
