In the wake of ongoing indefinite strike by a section of telecom employees demanding settlement of all labour issues, Centre on Friday asked states "to lend all possible assistance" to the Department of Telecom. "States have been told to sensitise their district law and order authorities to maintain vigil and undertake all security precautions to prevent dislocation of services or any other adverse fallout," an official release said in New Delhi. Stating that Union Home Ministry has advised Home Secretaries, DGPs of all state governments to ‘lend all possible assistance to the Department of Telecom’, it said that special emphasis had been laid on providing adequate protection to telephone exchanges, vital telecom installations and also the safety of willing workers who would be inclined to perform their jobs. The strike, spearheaded by the National Federation of Telecom Employees Secretary (NFTE), got a serious jolt late Thursday night when Bharatiya Telecom Employees Federation (BTEF), affiliated to Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), decided to pull out of the agitational programme. Bureau Report