Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh government
employees in Telangana on Monday kicked off protests in support of
the separate statehood demand, among others, which will
culminate in a general strike from August 17.
The pro-Telangana government employees held protests,
including lunch-hour demonstrations and `work to rule`, in
their offices in Hyderabad and other Telangana districts.
The government employees unions plan to intensify their
stir in a phased manner.
On the occasion, Telangana Non-Gazetted Officers
Association leader K Swamy Goud and others slammed the state
government`s move to invoke the Essential Services Maintenance
(ESMA) Act against the employees.
The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Telangana employees,
teachers and gazetted officers had on August 5 boycotted
crucial talks with the Andhra Pradesh cabinet sub-committee
over the proposed general strike from August 17, demanding
withdrawal of certain orders invoking ESMA.
The JAC also demanded an assurance from the government
that ESMA would not be invoked against employees, as a pre-
requisite for holding talks. It also wanted immediate
withdrawal of para-military and security forces deployed in
government offices.
The JAC had served a notice on the government late last
month threatening to go on an indefinite general strike from
August 1 demanding apart from service-related issues, the
creation of Telangana state. Subsequently, the strike was put
off till August 17.
PTI
