The Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC) on Tuesday said it has decided to intensify from next month the movement for separate Telangana state.
JAC chairman M. Kodandaram told reporters here that since the annual examinations of schools and colleges have concluded, the movement would be now intensified.
The JAC, which comprises Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and other political parties fighting for a separate Telangana state, last month decided to go slow on the agitation in response to various sections’ demand not to disrupt the schedules of school and college examinations.
Kondaram said the JAC steering committee members would be leaving for Delhi April 25 to initiate efforts for a separate Telangana state. The JAC will hold consultations with various parties, and set up a panel at the national level to mount pressure on the central government.
The Congress leaders from Telangana also plan to step up on the movement in May. The party MPs, who recently met here, reiterated that they would have no option but to quit if the party leadership failed to initiate efforts for a separate state after the ongoing assembly elections in five states are over.
After the polls, union Home Minister P. Chidambaram is also likely to convene an all-party meeting on the Srikrishna Committee report, in an attempt to evolve consensus over the Telangana issue.
The JAC has demanded that the state government scrap the Government Order (GO) 177, which is aimed at implementing “no work, no pay” rule for government employees participating in strikes and other forms of protest for a separate state.
Kodandaram said the government’s move to keep the GO in abeyance was not enough and it should immediately withdraw the controversial order issued last week.
The JAC plans to chalk out protest programme over the GO in consultation with the unions of government employees in Telangana. The JAC and union leaders will submit memorandums to district collectors April 21, demanding withdrawal of the order.
Meanwhile, the JAC of various unions of government employees Tuesday staged protests outside the residence of legislators in Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts, demanding that the order be scrapping.
