Hyderabad: The turmoil in Andhra Pradesh showed signs of abating on Wednesday amid warnings of a cyclone that is likely to hit the north coastal region around the time the Group of Ministers (GoM) set up by the union government begins its first meeting in New Delhi to look into the process of dividing the state of 84 million people.
The Union government’s decision to carve India’s 29th state, Telangana, out of Andhra Pradesh—in the face of 65 days of protests across 13 districts of coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions—intensified the agitation, sparking violence at the weekend and crippling normal life in towns.
Meanwhile, YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president and Kadapa member of Parliament Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who has been on an indefinite fast since Saturday to keep the state united, was taken into preventive custody on late Wednesday night. A police team led by joint commissioner of police (special branch) B. Malla Reddy evicted Jagan Reddy from his residence in Jubilee Hills where he was fasting and shifted him to the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences.
Jagan Reddy has not broken his fast yet, senior party leader M.V. Mysoora Reddy said over the phone.
The Met department on Wednesday forecast a cyclonic storm to hit the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha coast in 2-3 days, PTI reported. The warning prompted the Andhra Pradesh Non-Gazetted Officers (APNGO) association, a state government employees outfit, to declare some of its members will return to duty in districts that could be affected.
Bracing itself for a cyclone in north coastal Andhra was Vizianagaram district—curfew-bound after witnessing violence—Visakhapatnam, the second largest city after the state capital Hyderabad, and Srikakulam, one of the most economically backward districts.
As earlier in the week, there were failed attempts on Wednesday to end the workers’ strike. Chief minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy and some of his cabinet ministers met representatives of the APNGO association and other state government employee organizations that have boycotted work for over 71 days but the talks were unsuccessful.
However, the chief minister’s request to call off the stir in view of the impending cyclone, had some effect: the government employees organizations said some of their members would take part in relief work in affected districts if a cyclone struck, but that the boycott would continue elsewhere.
“If there is any crisis because of the cyclone, our employees in panchayati raj, health and revenue departments in the affected districts will participate in cyclone relief efforts. They will still be part of our protest,” said P. Ashok Babu, president of the APNGOs joint action committee, after the meeting with the chief minister.
“There is no question of calling off our agitation,” he added.
Chief minister Reddy met disaster management officials to take stock of the situation and take measures to minimize the impact of a cyclone. A control room will be established in Hyderabad.
“The Met department informed us that wind speeds ranging from 125-200 kmph will hit Srikakulam in north coastal Andhra,” N. Raghuveera Reddy, minister for revenue, relief and rehabilitation told reporters.
While Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts could be badly hit by the cyclone, heavy rainfall is expected in East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna and Guntur districts along coastal Andhra, the minister said.
There was little respite from the political stir: villages and towns across Seemandhra, as coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema are together known, continued to reel under darkness for the fourth consecutive day after talks between the chief minister and striking state electricity employees failed Tuesday night.
The flow of drinking water from Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Nadu stopped after anti-bifurcation activists closed down the sluice gates of the Telugu Ganga Project on Monday. “Yes, we have closed down the gates,” said Raviteja Padiri, secretary of Visalandhra Mahasabha, which is opposed to the creation of Telangana.
Water from Srisailam reservoir in Andhra Pradesh passes through Rayalaseema to reach Tamil Nadu’s Poondi reservoir, from where it drawn in Chennai city. “Right now the water flow has been stopped,” Padiri said over the phone. “But we think the government might intervene and restore water supply day after tomorrow.”
Meanwhile, the Union government’s announcement of a reconstituted Group of Ministers late on Tuesday night drew criticism from all political parties, including the state’s ruling Congress party, for not naming a single representative from Andhra Pradesh on it.
Home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde was named head of the GoM in place of defence minister A.K. Antony, who has taken ill.
“Isn’t there a single leader from Andhra Pradesh worthy of being in the Group of Ministers?” Telugu Desam Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu, who is on an indefinite protest-fast in New Delhi, said in televised remarks.
The Congress party deployed its top troubleshooters in the GoM. Shinde, Antony, finance minister P. Chidambaram, health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, petroleum and natural gas minister M. Veerappa Moily and rural development minister Jairam Ramesh will oversee the final modalities of the state’s division, including political contours, sharing of resources, assets and liabilities.
Minister of state for personnel, public grievances and pensions V. Narayanasamy has been named “special invitee”.
Congress leaders from the Seemandhra region constituted a 17-member coordination committee to represent the problems of the region. “We wonder how a GoM without any person from the state could divide Andhra Pradesh,” said primary education minister S. Sailajanath.
Meanwhile, outfits espousing an integrated Andhra Pradesh drew up plans to take their protest to the Hindi heartland. Over 5,000 protesters in 100 buses are expected to leave Hyderabad on 6 November and for New Delhi, where they plan to hold a rally on 9 November. Meetings will be held on the way, in Nagpur on 7 November and Bhopal on 8 November. “We want to send across a political message to the political leadership,” said Padiri.
The Union government’s decision to carve India’s 29th state, Telangana, out of Andhra Pradesh—in the face of 65 days of protests across 13 districts of coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions—intensified the agitation, sparking violence at the weekend and crippling normal life in towns.
Meanwhile, YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president and Kadapa member of Parliament Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who has been on an indefinite fast since Saturday to keep the state united, was taken into preventive custody on late Wednesday night. A police team led by joint commissioner of police (special branch) B. Malla Reddy evicted Jagan Reddy from his residence in Jubilee Hills where he was fasting and shifted him to the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences.
Jagan Reddy has not broken his fast yet, senior party leader M.V. Mysoora Reddy said over the phone.
The Met department on Wednesday forecast a cyclonic storm to hit the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha coast in 2-3 days, PTI reported. The warning prompted the Andhra Pradesh Non-Gazetted Officers (APNGO) association, a state government employees outfit, to declare some of its members will return to duty in districts that could be affected.
Bracing itself for a cyclone in north coastal Andhra was Vizianagaram district—curfew-bound after witnessing violence—Visakhapatnam, the second largest city after the state capital Hyderabad, and Srikakulam, one of the most economically backward districts.
As earlier in the week, there were failed attempts on Wednesday to end the workers’ strike. Chief minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy and some of his cabinet ministers met representatives of the APNGO association and other state government employee organizations that have boycotted work for over 71 days but the talks were unsuccessful.
However, the chief minister’s request to call off the stir in view of the impending cyclone, had some effect: the government employees organizations said some of their members would take part in relief work in affected districts if a cyclone struck, but that the boycott would continue elsewhere.
“If there is any crisis because of the cyclone, our employees in panchayati raj, health and revenue departments in the affected districts will participate in cyclone relief efforts. They will still be part of our protest,” said P. Ashok Babu, president of the APNGOs joint action committee, after the meeting with the chief minister.
“There is no question of calling off our agitation,” he added.
Chief minister Reddy met disaster management officials to take stock of the situation and take measures to minimize the impact of a cyclone. A control room will be established in Hyderabad.
“The Met department informed us that wind speeds ranging from 125-200 kmph will hit Srikakulam in north coastal Andhra,” N. Raghuveera Reddy, minister for revenue, relief and rehabilitation told reporters.
While Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts could be badly hit by the cyclone, heavy rainfall is expected in East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna and Guntur districts along coastal Andhra, the minister said.
There was little respite from the political stir: villages and towns across Seemandhra, as coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema are together known, continued to reel under darkness for the fourth consecutive day after talks between the chief minister and striking state electricity employees failed Tuesday night.
The flow of drinking water from Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Nadu stopped after anti-bifurcation activists closed down the sluice gates of the Telugu Ganga Project on Monday. “Yes, we have closed down the gates,” said Raviteja Padiri, secretary of Visalandhra Mahasabha, which is opposed to the creation of Telangana.
Water from Srisailam reservoir in Andhra Pradesh passes through Rayalaseema to reach Tamil Nadu’s Poondi reservoir, from where it drawn in Chennai city. “Right now the water flow has been stopped,” Padiri said over the phone. “But we think the government might intervene and restore water supply day after tomorrow.”
Meanwhile, the Union government’s announcement of a reconstituted Group of Ministers late on Tuesday night drew criticism from all political parties, including the state’s ruling Congress party, for not naming a single representative from Andhra Pradesh on it.
Home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde was named head of the GoM in place of defence minister A.K. Antony, who has taken ill.
“Isn’t there a single leader from Andhra Pradesh worthy of being in the Group of Ministers?” Telugu Desam Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu, who is on an indefinite protest-fast in New Delhi, said in televised remarks.
The Congress party deployed its top troubleshooters in the GoM. Shinde, Antony, finance minister P. Chidambaram, health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, petroleum and natural gas minister M. Veerappa Moily and rural development minister Jairam Ramesh will oversee the final modalities of the state’s division, including political contours, sharing of resources, assets and liabilities.
Minister of state for personnel, public grievances and pensions V. Narayanasamy has been named “special invitee”.
Congress leaders from the Seemandhra region constituted a 17-member coordination committee to represent the problems of the region. “We wonder how a GoM without any person from the state could divide Andhra Pradesh,” said primary education minister S. Sailajanath.
Meanwhile, outfits espousing an integrated Andhra Pradesh drew up plans to take their protest to the Hindi heartland. Over 5,000 protesters in 100 buses are expected to leave Hyderabad on 6 November and for New Delhi, where they plan to hold a rally on 9 November. Meetings will be held on the way, in Nagpur on 7 November and Bhopal on 8 November. “We want to send across a political message to the political leadership,” said Padiri.
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