Cyclone threat slows down Samaikyandhra protest in Vizag

APNGOs decide to take up relief work; there is hardly any protest on the city main roads

Striking RTC employees form a queue at Maddilapalem Bus Depot in Visakhapatnam on Friday to collect essentials being provided by various organisations. Photo: C.V. Subrahmanyam

The Samaikyandhra agitation has suffered a setback with the Vidyut Employees JAC temporarily calling off their agitation following talks with Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy and AP NGOs deciding to take up relief work in view of the super cyclone threat to Andhra and Odisha coast. Teachers called off their strike.

There were hardly any protests on the main roads in the city on Friday barring a few places like the Government Polytechnic, where the Samaikyandhra protesters staged a ‘rasta roko’ for sometime and continued their strike. APNGO leaders picketed the residences of MLAs and demanded that they vote in favour of keeping the State united, when the note would be presented in the Assembly. Doctors, nurses, junior doctors, medical and nursing students and Class IV employees on the banner of Samaikyandhra Medical JAC continued their strike on Friday also. Government Doctor’s Association State secretary (Andhra region) Dr. P. Shyam Sundar said that the Medical JAC would continue the stir and OPs (Out Patient) and OTs (Operation Theatres) will continue to be closed till October 15.

A decision would be taken on October 14 on the future course of action to be taken from October 16.

Dr. Shyam Sundar appealed to the Medical JAC members not to believe rumours that they had suspended the stir.

A rally was taken out under the auspices of the National Mazdoor Union of APS RTC from Daspalla Hotel to the Ambedkar statue near LIC. They raised slogans in support of Samaikyandhra.

Rushikonda Information Technology Parks Association (RITPA) and Vizag Development Council (VDC) distributed rice and essential commodities to RTC employees, who were on strike for over two months, in protest against the proposed bifurcation of the State. Samaikyandhra leaders P. Vishnu Kumar Raju, O. Naresh Kumar, T.S.R. Prasad and Dr. Shireen Rahman were among those who were present.

Members of I.B.P. Century Club donated rations to 400 RTC employees of Maddilapalem Depot, according to honorary secretary Vasireddy Sreemanth.