The newly-formed Secretariat Seemandhra Employees Forum has given a call to boycott work on Saturday in protest against the decision of the UPA to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh.
The forum, which took out a massive rally on the Secretariat premises during lunch hour on Friday, raised slogans that Hyderabad belonged to all and they wanted justice for Seemandhra employees working in Hyderabad and their families.
The forum president, U. Muralikrishna, said people from Seemandhra had settled in Hyderabad since 1956 and lakhs of them drew their pensions here.
The politicians would come and go with every election but employees working in various government and public sector units here made the city their permanent home. Yet the Congress governments in the State and at the Centre did not consult them before taking a decision that could affect their and their families’ future.
Central Congress leaders said Seemandhra employees need not fear for their safety. But when they could not protect even the statue of Telugu Thalli, how could they draw confidence from their assurances. The employees would continue their protests till their rights were protected and their demands were realised.
Several Public Sector Units, institutions, universities, hospitals and IT companies were set up and businesses established in Hyderabad as it was State capital and belonged to everyone. The Centre should reconsider its decision on Telangana.
