Hyderabad, Jul 6: Normal life was affected on the second consecutive day today in the ten districts of Telangana region in Andhra Pradesh following a 48-hour shutdown by the Telangana Political Joint Action Committee (JAC) for a separate statehood.
Schools, colleges, shops, petrol pumps and other commercial establishments remained closed and public transport services were badly hit in all the Telangana districts, including Hyderabad, due to the bandh. The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) suspended its services at various places as a precautionary measure and commuters had a tough time in reaching their destinations.
Auto-rickshaws and other private transporters had a field day due to unavailability of buses. The government offices are functioning with only skeleton staffs reporting to duty as the employees and other sections are also part of the JAC.
Barring attempts by activists to lay a siege in courts and to the houses of those public representatives who have not yet put down their papers in support of the separate statehood, the bandh has so far been more or less peaceful. The students of Osmania University here clashed with the security personnel yesterday when they were prevented from taking out a rally. The students are planning to organise a rally today.
TRS workers and other bandh-supporters held rallies, sit-ins and resorted to other forms of protests to make the shutdown a success.
The JAC called for the 48-hour bandh to impress upon the Centre the immediate need to carve out a separate state of Telangana, which will be followed by a rail roko on July 8 and 9.
The total number of legislators from the region quitting the Andhra Pradesh Assembly over the issue has so far touched the 100 mark. PTI
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