Almost immediately after the Congress Working Committee announced its decision for the formation of a separate Telangana, about 6.5 lakh State Government employees from various departments under the banner of APNGOs Association, about 1.5 lakh corporation employees from various municipal corporations, over 70,000 employees of APSRTC and about 60,000 employees of APGENCO and EPDCL and SPDCL - and all from the 13 Seemandhra districts have struck work.
For almost about two months, they have not received their salaries.
And the question that is writ large on their face is: how long can we sustain? But for the APNGOs and the employees from other departments, this agitation would not have come this far, as the stir grossly lacked a political will or direction.
\ “It is clearly an agitation by the people and of the people. It is the people who are leading the agitation. But how long and how far, is the question to be answered,” said Krishna District Lorry Owners’ Association president, K. Venkat Ramesh.
“It has almost been about two months and we are without salary. I had to sell jewellery of my wife, a couple of days ago, to run the show, and the same is the case with many others. Even the bank loan was not sanctioned to many people. But we are determined to fight it out, till the Centre takes back its decision,” said Srinivas, a state government class IV employee.
Breaking point
They are passionate about an integrated state, but many appear to be at the breaking point.
How long can they see their children starving and that appears to be the ploy of the UPA Government, said a former Congress leader on condition of anonymity.
He said the agitation had enough fuel and energy, but needed a strong leader who could unite the energy and channel it in one direction.
A member of the APNGOs pointed out that the employees under the state government departments were a bit better off, but the employees of APSRTC and the various municipal corporations were in dire straits. “Many of the APSRTC and corporation employees earn less than Rs. 15,000 a month. Just imagine their condition,” he said.
He further pointed out, the agitation could not be left to the APNGOs or other employees, it was time that the general public joined the agitation passionately and not symbolically, by standing in a rasta roko for a few minutes. It should be a sustained effort.
Meeting
APNGO leader A. Vidyasagar, hinting that employees were facing problem, said a core team from all the 13 districts would meet in Hyderabad on Sunday to decide future course of action.
