Normal life in Telangana, including in the State capital Hyderabad, has been hit by a bandh called by Telangana Joint Action Committee and Left parties in protest against transferring 211 villages to Andhra Pradesh from Khammam district.
Activists of TRS and other parties and organisations have been enforcing the bandh in Hyderabad. Schools, colleges, hotels and shopping establishments have been closed. Road Transport Corporation buses go off the roads.
The IT industry heaved a sigh of relief as the bandh falls on a Saturday and not a working day.
The Lok Sabha passed an amendment on Friday, paving the way for the Polavaram irrigation project. It is alleged the project would displace about three lakh tribals. The neighbouring Chhattisgarh and Odisha Governments too are opposing the project.
The ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), Congress’ Telangana unit and several people’s organisations have extended their support to the bandh. It is the second bandh in a month on the same issue.
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao, who has been asking for a change in the project design, termed the Centre’s move unilateral, undemocratic and unconstitutional.