Bandh throws life out of gear

Kurnool: Barring stray incidents of stone-pelting and bus windowpanes smashing, the bandh protesting against the hike in power tariff was peaceful on Tuesday in the district. All opposition parties jointly have given the bandh call throughout the State to force the government to rollback the hiked power tariff and stop unscheduled power cuts.

The leaders of Left and opposition parties started campaigning from 6 am to observe bandh. Leaders of TDP, BJP and YSR Congress leaders were seen moving on motorcycles forcing the shops to close and even stopping the auto rickshaws from plying.The commercial establishments and educational institutions were voluntarily closed.

At 5 am, the agitators pelted stones at an RTC bus smashing the windowpanes at Done bus station.In Kurnool, a group of agitators entered a cloth shop and smashed the showcases and furniture. At Prattiknda, the agitators entered the MDO office and threw down the files.

The RTC officials stopped 980 buses from 11 depots throughout the district. CPM leader Gafoor, TDP district president Somisetti Venkateswarlu, BJP district president Nagaraju and YSRCP leaders spoke.

Bandh successful in Medak

The bandh was successful in Medak district. Since morning on Tuesday, the activists of TDP, TRS, BJP, CPI, CPM, YSRCP and Telangana JAC leaders have squatted before the RTC bus station here altogether stopping the bus services protesting against the hike in power charges.

From the RTC bus depots at Sangareddy, Medak, Siddhipet, Gajvel, Dubbaka, Narayana Khed, Zaheerabad and Patancheru buses were stopped from plying. All the commercial establishments, educational institutions, petrol bunks, cinema halls were closed throughout the district.

The industrial units at Patancheru, Isnopur, Posamylavaram, Jinnaram, Gummadidala were closed.A About two lakh workers boycotted works throughout the district as part of the bandh.

TDP leaders Manikyam, Hakim, CPM leader Rajaiah, CPI leader Manda Pavan, YSRCP leader Srinath Reddy, BJP district president Bucchi Reddy, former president Vishnuvardhan Reddy, TRS leader Chinta Prabhakar, R Satyanarayana and others participated in the bandh at Sangreddy.

Traffic came to standstill at Patancheru after the all-party members staged rasta roko on the national highway. A Protest rallies were taken out at Siddhipet, Dubbaka, Gajvel and other areas. Police arrested the all-party leaders who squatted before the Sangareddy bus station.

Partial response in Mahabubnagar

Bandh evoked partial response in Mahbubnagar district on Tuesday. Leaders of TDP, TRS, CPI, CPM and BJP leaders squatted before the RTC depots at Nagar Kurnool, Shad Nagar, Jadcharla, Vanaparti, Narayanpet, Acchampet and Gadval to stop the buses since morning.

Some protestors burnt down the effigy of chief minister at Nagar Kurnool. BJP, TRS activists took out a massive rally in Mahabubangar, while rasta roko was undertaken in Narayanpet and Maktal. Leaders of TDP and TRS staged rasta roko before the Shadnagar bus depot.

The activists raised slogans against the government and its anti-people policies. They expressed concern over the drying crops throughout the State.

Total bandh in Nalgonda

In response to the call given by all parties, a total and peaceful bandh was observed in Nalgonda district on Tuesday. All the 720 bus services were disrupted in the district. All educational institutions and commercial establishments were voluntarily closed.

CPM district secretary Nandyala Narasimha Reddy, CPI district secretary Mallepalli Adi Reddy, TDP district president Bilya Naik, BJP district president Veerelli Chandrasekhar reached the Nalgonda bus depot early in the morning along with the party activists and stopped the services. At Mirylaguda, CPM floor leader in Assembly Julakanti Ranga Reddy led the bandh programme.

Mahatma Gandhi University Registrar Pochanna said that the examinations scheduled for Tuesday were postponed. SFI and AISF activists took out massive bike rally in Nalgonda town. No untoward incidents were reported from anywhere in the district.