TELANGANA BANDH (Closure) PARALYSES LIFE

Hyderabad, July 5 (NSS): Normal life in all the Telangana districts went haywire as the entire region remained shut down on Tuesday in response to the 48-hour bandh call given by the Telangana Political JAC to force Centre to take a quick decision on creating a separate State.

            Barring a few violent incidents, especially on the Osmania University Campus where police had to lob teargas shells to disperse stone-pelting students, the day one of the two-day bandh passed off peacefully amidst a curfew-like atmosphere prevailing in towns and villages what with transport and trading activities coming to a grinding halt.

            The TJAC had given the bandh call after the powers- that-be in New Delhi remaining unmoved despite the Telangana MPs, ministers and legislators submitting their resignations on Monday. The TRS, BJP and CPI besides various trade unions and service organizations have extended full support to the bandh.

            Shops, business establishments, hotels and all other commercial organizations remained closed. Even cinema theatres put up no-show sign boards, while the petrol bunks shut down after exhausting their entire stock of petrol and diesel. All the educational institutions declared a two-day holiday as a precautionary measure.

BANKS & ATMS REMAIN CLOSED

As trading and business activities coming to standstill, nearly 5,000 braches of various nationalized banks in the Telangana region remained closed. The ATMs of all the banks also did not operate causing untold problems to customers, who depended on them for cash withdrawals.

            Hundreds of RTC buses were off the roads as they remained parked in various depots in all the Telangana districts. While during the earlier bandhs the APSRTC authorities used to operate skeletal services in the early hours of the day, but this time this was also hampered as the RTC staff, including the drivers responded to the bandh call. At many depots in various towns and villages, the staff locked the gates and sat on a dharna.

            Unlike in the past when the buses normally became the target of attack by the agitators, this time such incidents were negligible. However, as many as 10 buses were damaged in stone-pelting at Ibrahimpatnam, while one bus was set on fire in Vanasthalipuram.

            Even the Seemandhra districts tasted the impact of the Telangana bandh as the buses plying between the two regions were withdrawn. As many as 150 buses services between Vijayawada and Hyderabad through various Telangana areas were cancelled. Likewise various services from the Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema areas to the Telangana districts were withdrawn. In the twin cities also 3,500 buses did not operate.

            The lack of transport services adversely affected commuters, who had planned their journey earlier and also those who had arrived at various destinations in the region. The few autos which operated fleeced the helpless commuters. With all the petrol bunks going dry, the vehicular traffic on the roads was minimal.

            The police made elaborate security arrangements keeping in view the past experience. Armed police, including paramilitary forces, CRPF and Rapid Action Force personnel patrolled important thoroughfares besides guarding railway stations and bus depots. The police also imposed prohibitory orders all over Telangana, including the twin cities. (NSS)