With dislocation in public transport and pledging of support by the managements to the cause of Samaikyandhra, there was total shutdown of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) in the city.
The impact of strike was spontaneous with nearly 10,000 workers engaged in various units in Autonagar, Gajuwaka, and Pedagantyada not reporting for work. “The strike evoked a spontaneous response. Only a few workers who reported were asked to go back home due to the strike. We will chalk out future course of action to fight against bifurcation on Wednesday,” Visakha Autonagar Small-Scale Industrialists’ Welfare Association president Ramakrishna Narappareddy said.
He told The Hindu that division would hit them hard due to insistence on payment of entry tax and other duties and fear loss of orders and appealed to the Congress central leadership to reconsider the decision on Telangana.
Major industries felt negligible impact of the bandh. Cargo handling was normal at Visakhapatnam Port as no union gave a call for the strike, a port official said. In Visakhapatnam Steel Plant also the production and attendance was normal, a company spokesman said.
Except a few contract workers, who could not come due to suspension of public transport, the attendance was not affected much, INTUC district general secretary Neerukonda Ramachandra Rao said.
He said INTUC activists staged a demonstration at Kurmannapalem junction and Duvvada railway station to enforce the bandh.
At other industries like BHPV, HPCL Visakh Refinery and HSL work remained unaffected.
However, several workers could not report to work at the units functioning at AP Special Economic Zone, Atchutapuram, Visakhapatnam Special Economic Zone, Duvvada and IT Park, Rushikonda.
“Work was as usual in our terminal except a few workers reaching the work-spot not on time due to stoppage of vehicles at various places,” an official of Visakha Container Terminal said.
All the shops and establishments downed their shutters voluntarily.
“The response to our call to take part in the strike was total. Hyderabad was developed with the contribution of people from all regions. It is also an education hub for all of us.
Hence, we will oppose the division,” Vizagapatam Chamber of Commerce & Industry honorary secretary M.V. Narayana Rao said.
