United AP protests continue

RTC buses off the roads for fourth day; Auto-rickshaws, private operators have a hay day; NGOs walk on knees

Visakhapatnam: Protests, motorcycle rallies, hunger strikes, road blocks and human chains by all sections of people, organisations and parties against the bifurcation of the State continued in the city on Friday. RTC buses were off the roads on the fourth day. Taking advantage of the lack of public transport, auto-rickshaw drivers and private van operators went for the killing.

A large number of Congress activists, raising slogans, took out a motorcycle rally in which MLA Tynala Vijay Kumar participated from the Gandhi statue near Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) to the Collectorate and formed a human chain at Jagadamba Junction en route. They demanded the Centre to come out with a specific reply on the present agitation and to withdraw the ‘T’ decision.

Local pharmacists, druggists and chemists also took out a Samaikyandhra motorcycle rally from Jagadamba to the Collectorate and formed a human chain demanding unified State. Leaders claimed that development was possible only when the State was united. Members of Panchayat Raj also formed a human chain before taking out a motorcycle rally from Jagadamba to the Collectorate.

Meanwhile, the members of APNGOs’ Association, who boycotted duties as part of the Samaikyandhra agitation, resorted to a unique protest of ‘kneel down’ walk inside the Collectorate here on Friday. Women NGOs also participated in the protest despite the ‘Sravana Vara Lakshmi puja’ to be performed on the second Friday of ‘Sravanamasam’.

GVMC engg staff rally
The engineering staff of GVMC took out a motorcycle rally from the Gandhi statue near the Corporation to the Collectorate demanding united Andhra Pradesh. The activists raised slogans against Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leader K Candrasekhar Rao and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, and said the ‘T’ decision was not acceptable. Municipal Commissioner MV Satyanarayana and other civic officials visited the relay hunger strike camp of GVMC employees in front of the GVMC on Friday and expressed their solidarity to the striking employees. Union leader Ananda Rao and others were present.

Bar Association
The relay hunger strike by the members of Visakhapatnam Bar Association continued on Friday in front of the District Court premises. They raised slogans against KCR and termed the ‘T’ decision ‘undemocratic, illegal and unilateral’.

SAVE JAC serves strike notices
Our Bureau

Visakhapatnam: The leaders of Samaikyandhra Vidyut Employees’ Joint Action Committee (SAVE) served strike notices on the Managing Director of APGenco and Chairman and Managing Director of APTransco, CPDCL, SPDCL and EPDCL on Friday.
SAVE JAC convenor Polaki Srinivasa Rao told The Hans India from Hyderabad that the strike would be observed on September 1 or later and it was also proposed to chalk out an action plan without affecting the consumer service, including billing, collection and attending to complaints.