A state-wide bandh in Andhra Pradesh protesting the Visakhapatnamsteel plant's privatisation took off on Friday. The bandh, called by theVisakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Committee (Committee for conservation of Visakha steel), has been endorsed by the ruling YSRCP government, as well as opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Left parties in the state.
Across the state, many people protested at the APSRTC (Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation) bus stations, carrying CITU (Centre of Indian Trade Unions) flags and other banners. With APSRTC bus services being stalled through the first half of the day, many bus stations wore a deserted look, while a few stations saw travellers unaware of the bandh waiting for services to resume.
On Thursday, Information and Public Relations (I&PR) and Transport Minister Perni Venkatramaiah (Nani) declared the state government's support for the bandh, and stated that bus services would begin only after 1 pm. He also said that APSRTC employees would wear black badges after resuming work, in solidarity with the protest. However, the minister assured that public life will not be completely paralysed as health and emergency services will function as usual.
CPI(M) Vizag city secretary B Ganga Rao said that the bandh has been successful in the city. “Industrial production has come to a halt, and transport has been paralysed. Commercial establishments, schools, colleges and universities have all been shut,” he said. According to a statement from SFI (Students' Federation of India), in Vijayawada, most educational institutions remained closed as part of the bandh, including KBN College, Potti Sriramulu College of Engineering and Technology, various municipal schools and corporate schools and colleges.
"The Union government is selling away all public sector companies. This will badly affect the job prospects of people in the country," said a woman protester from Eluru told IANS. Likewise, another protester from Kurnool said the Union government is not even hesitating to sell away companies which are in profit, such as Life Insurance Corporation (LIC). He said this is a conspiracy to not let the downtrodden flourish in life and get jobs.
(With IANS inputs)