Strike/agitation in a phased manner frm Aug 17: Telangana JAC

The Telangana political Joint Action Committee (JAC) today decided to hold the proposed strike in the region from August 17, in a phased manner. "The all-people's strike is widely understood to be the strike of state government employees, teachers and other staff. It may actually turn out to be so. (But) We thought it is not correct to put the entire burden on the employees, hence, we decided to start the all-people's strike on August 17 but it will begin by mobilising people from the village level," JAC Convener M Kodandaram told reporters here. Accordingly, a massive dharna (sit-in) would be organised on August 17, and JAC leaders would mobilise people until September 4. A rally would be held at Karimnagar on September 5, and the state employees would join in the strike from September 6, he said. Asked about the strike notice served to the Andhra Pradesh government by the Telangana employees unions affiliated to the JAC, Kodandaram said the notice was still valid, but the dates had been changed. Earlier, the unions had said they would go on strike from August 17. He said JAC was also of the view that people should not be put to inconvenience during the Ramzan and Vinayaka Chavithi festival. TRS floor leader E Rajender said the JAC leaders would mobilise people till September 5, starting with villages. BJP leader Ch Vidyasagar Rao alleged that employees were being harassed by the government for involvement in the separate statehood agitation.