Oppn bandh against power charges hike peaceful in city

Vijayawada:The Opposition parties'-sponsored state- wide bandh against hike in electricity charges was peaceful and successful in the city on Tuesday. The Opposition parties, including the Telugu Desam, the Communist Party of India (CPI), the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM), the YSR Congress Party, the Bharatiya Janata Party and several other Left parties have joined the strike. The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Authority (APSRTC) has cancelled its services in the city limits for the day. Earlier political leaders of all hues staged protest in-front of Pandit Nehru Bus Station and all the bus depots in the city. Passenger services including inter-district and long distance services were cancelled by the RTC. The passengers in the city had to depend on autos for their transportation needs. Cinema theaters cancelled morning shows and a few theatres cancelled matinee shows also. Schools and colleges in the city announced holiday. The nationalised banks were closed. However, the Central and State government establishments worked partially. The wholesale cloth market, Vastralatha, gold market and the Kaleswararao General Market in the city wore a deserted look with the shops and establishments remaining closed all through the day. The commercial establishments on the busy Besant Road at Governorpet and Gandhinagar were also closed for the day in support of the bandh. The Opposition party activists and leaders forced closure of offices in some areas of the city. But no loss or damage has been reported. The TDP leaders Devineni Umamaheswara Rao, Bonda Umamaheswara Rao and K Nagul Meera, the YSR Congress Party leaders P Goutam Reddy and Tadi Shakuntala, CPM leaders Ch Babu Rao and Donepudi Kasinath, CPI leaders Donepudi Shankar, CPI-ML leader M Bhargavasri, BJP leaders U Srinivasa Raju, D Vumamaheswara Raju and M Pitchaiah led their party activists in enforcing the bandh and staged protests in- front of Pandit Nehru Bus Station and as well as Sub Collector office. They raised slogans against the government and tried to stall work at Sub Collector office. The police foiled their attempts and arrested the leaders. The leaders warned the government they would continue their agitation till the government withdrew the increased tariff. They alleged that the government was cheating the people in the name of withdrawing power charges for poorer sections.