School teachers and SHG women join the T-strike

HYDERABAD: Even as the Sakalajanula Samme entered the fourth day on Friday, educational institutions, including government and private, remained shut across Telangana as government teachers and recognised private schools and colleges joined the stir.About 1.7 lakh teachers of the government, aided and residential schools participated in the strike, while private school managements organised rallies and protests across the region.The day also witnessed the arrest of Telangana Employees JAC chairman K Swami Goud in Hyderabad. Later, he was released on personal surety from TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao and TJAC chairman Prof M Kodandaram.Meanwhile, the road blockade programme planned by the TJAC on Sept 18 has been deferred by a day (to Sept 19) in view of the bank examinations on Sunday.SANGAREDDY: Telangana supporters locked up the electricity board officials in the gram panchayat office at Duddeda in Kondapaka mandal when the latter went to collect electricity bills in the village. The villagers made it clear that they would not pay the bills till a separate state was carved out. However, the villagers released the officials after sometime.Pro-Telangana activists also attacked the NREGS office and asked the staff to leave the premises before locking it up.While teachers of government schools have launched an indefinite strike, those of the private educational institutions have declared holidays for two days and said that they would take a decision on continuing the closure depending on the situation.WARANGAL: About 30 Telangana advocates were arrested by police when they stormed TTDF convener Errabelli Dayakar Rao’s house demanding him to quit his MLA post here on Friday. They ransacked his residence in Hanamkonda and damaged the furniture.At Kakatiya University, three students climbed up a cell tower and threatened to jump down if Telangana bill was not introduced in the Parliament. However, police pacified the youth and ensured that they climbed down.About 10 advocates who were arrested on Thursday, in connection with attack on the DEO office, were granted bail on Friday. Students, teachers and private school managements took out rallies in various parts of the district. They also organised dharnas protesting against the arrest of Swami Goud.NALGONDA: TRS activists attacked Velugu office at Narketpally in Nalgonda district in protest against the staff attending their duties in it.They damaged the furniture and asked the employees to leave for home. Even before police could reach the spot, the T activists left the place.Employees of all government departments and students staged a dharna near the Clock Tower centre in Nalgonda town. In the afternoon, they staged a rasta roko demanding release of TJAC chairman Swami Goud. All government and private schools remained closed. Anganwadi workers staged dharna before the district collectorate in support of the strike. Students took out rallies in Nalgonda, Suryapet, Miryalaguda and Bhongir.KARIMNAGAR: About 13,480 government teachers abstained from their duties in the district. Government employees staged a dharna at Karimnagar bus station condemning the arrest of Swami Goud even as vehicles got stranded for about 1 km for an hour.TRS MLC Naradasu Laxman Rao and Telangana JAC leaders stalled traffic at Telangana Chowk. YSR Congress party activists expressed solidarity with the T government employees.BJP activists led by party town president B Sanjay Kumar set ablaze the government in effigy. In Godavarikhani, SCCL workers continued to stay away from their work.ADILABAD: For more than two hours, government employees, political leaders and T activists squatted on NH-7 near the Collector Chowk in Adilabad town in protest against the arrest of Telangana employees JAC chairman Swami Goud. Adilabad MLA Jogu Ramanna also participated in the protest. Police arrested the protestors and streamlined the traffic. Later, police released the protestors on personal sureties.An auto-driver, Bhumanna, belonging to Adilabad town attempted to commit suicide by dousing himself in kerosene and lighting the matchstick demanding announcement of separate Telangana.Women of SHGs and tribal organisations also took part in the stir demanding tabling of T bill in the Parliament.