HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh government is not in a hurry to crack the whip against striking employees of Telangana, even as their agitation entered the third day today, badly affecting administration in the districts of the region, officials said.The government is still seeking to engage the Telangana Employees Joint Action Committee (JAC) in talks and prevail upon the employees to call off their strike.The government staffers in the region are staying away from work since September 13 as part of 'Sakala Janula Samme' (strike by all sections of people), called to demand creation of Telangana state.The General Administration Department and the Chief Minister's Office issued instructions to District Collectors in Telangana, asking them to engage the JAC leaders in talks, monitor attendance of employees and ensure protection to those attending duties, they said.The collectors have also been asked to take stern action against anyone trying to prevent employees from attending work, the officials said.Engaging the services of retired employees is an option being considered by the government only if the indefinite strike continues for a long period, they said.Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy called for an end to the strike. "Telangana cannot be achieved through strikes. It is only the people of Telangana who are suffering because of the strike," he said upon landing in Rajahmundry.The Centre and Congress high command will take "an appropriate decision at an appropriate time" on the Telangana issue, Reddy said.The Cabinet sub-committee on employees' issues, headed by Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha, met here and discussed the impact of the general strike.With coal production coming to a standstill in the Singareni Collieries, power generating stations like NTPC, Ramagundam, and Kothagudem Thermal Power Station, Palvoncha, are facing the heat.Two units producing 700 MW of power each at Ramagundam stopped functioning yesterday while another unit of 800 MW too is facing shutdown from late tonight, according to sources in AP Power Transmission Corporation.The sub-committee discussed this issue and appealed to the striking Singareni workers to call off their stir in public interest.With employees of State Road Transport Corporation announcing that they too would join the strike from September 19, Transport Minister Botsa Satyanarayana appealed to them not to do so."A lot of inconvenience will be caused to people if you strike work. Please reconsider your decision in public interest," Botsa appealed and said a high-level meeting of the Corporation would be held tomorrow to review the situation.Meanwhile, private schools in the region announced they would observe a two-day bandh from tomorrow in solidarity with the striking employees.Speaking to reporters at Madurapudi Airport in Rajahmundry, the Chief Minister said the ongoing strike has severely impacted the life of the common man.The common man is facing a lot of problems. Keeping in view their interests, the agitators should call off their strike, Reddy maintained.
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