The APNGOs Association has not withdrawn its stand on agitation for Samaikya Andhra Pradesh and who ever gets elected in its elections to be held on January 5, 2014 would continue the agitation, its president P. Ashok Babu said at a press conference here on Thursday.
Avoiding a direct answer to the question why the government employees did not go on strike as they promised when the bill on Telangana was introduced in the Assembly, Mr. Ashok Babu said the bill was tabled and a thorough discussion was needed and the MLAs supporting a unified State have to express their views in a detailed and forceful manner when the discussion was taken up during the two phases of the session starting on January 3.
The agitation by APNGOs had not been diluted, he asserted and went on to add that APNGOs going on strike would not be enough but all sections of people and the private sector should go on a total strike, exempting only the supply of water, milk and power.
The all-party meeting organising on Dec. 28 by the APNGOs Association would provide a direction to the further course of agitation and also for the political parties to strengthen their stand for a unified State. The APNGOs Association was also ready to organise workshops for the MLAs to help them put forth their views in a forceful and effective manner in the Assembly, he said.
Fighting to keep the State unified and simultaneously realising benefits for the employees is the responsibility of the APNGOs Association, he said. Realising interim relief, regularisation of contract employees and getting a clear order on inclusion of more diseases for treatment under the health card are the issues being taken up and the association was ready to coordinate with its Telangana counterparts while taking up the issue with the Government, Mr. Ashok Babu said.
Mr. Ashok Babu, along with general secretary N. Chandrsekhara Reddy and others office-bearers visited Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts on Wednesday and Thursday for canvassing support for his panel in the elections. He condemned the allegation that his team was continuing in the posts illegally.
It was a temporary arrangement following a court order, he said and assured that the elections would be conducted in a peaceful and democratic manner.
APNGOs Association’s city and district branch leaders K. Eswara Rao, T. Gopalakrishna, K.V. Venkateswara Rao and others were present.
