Even as hectic parleys are on in New Delhi on the knotty Telangana issue, the Andhra Pradesh Government has termed Telangana row a “sensitive and complicated” issue and that it would take some more time to resolve it. It announced a ‘carrot-and-stick' policy on Monday to bring order in the Telangana region.

Addressing a press conference here, the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, has called for restoration of academic activity in the region. “The future of 70 lakh students in the region is at stake. We should allow schools to run,” he said, asking agitating teachers and activists to see reason.

Warning stern action against those who stalled academic activity, the Chief Minister said the Government would follow ‘zero tolerance' policy in this regard. Pro-Telangana activists, however, stuck to their guns and asked educational institutions not to work.

RTC strike

While the Union Government is engaged in talks with political leaders, the State Government has taken up initiatives to bring normalcy in the region that has been rattled by 27-day general strike. On Monday, the Government bought peace with striking RTC (Road Transport Corporation) employees and persuaded them to breakaway from the general strike. Majority of public buses were off the roads for the last 22 days.

RTC employees played a key role in the success of the general strike along with the staff of Singareni Collieries that had impacted public life in the region and power supply in the entire State.

There, however, were conflicting reports. Leaders of Telangana JAC (Joint Action Committee) of RTC employees have declared that the strike was still on, while Mr Mahmood, General Secretary of National Mazdoor Union (NMU) announced that majority leaders had favoured postponement of strike.

Prof. Kodandaram, Chairman of Political JAC, and host of Telangana activists, were arrested at Jubilee Bus Station in Secunderabad, when they held a dharna protesting against the deal between NMU and the Government.

Jobs

Reiterating his job creation programme, the Chief Minister said notifications calling for applications for 1.16 lakh jobs in the Government sector would come out by the end of December. “The private sector would create 15 lakh jobs in three years. We should have a timetable to conduct exams. Any postponement would derail job creation programme,” he said.

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