TRS' bandh cripples coastal Andhra Pradesh

Telangana Rashtra Samithi's (TRS) 48-hour bandh has incurred a huge loss to the coastal areas of East Godavari, West Godvari and Viskhapatnam.

While transport organisations, farmers, business establishments incur losses, passengers faced troubles due to cancellation of bus services by both State and private bus operators towards Hyderabad and Telangana areas.

A spokesman of the Andhra Pradesh Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) told PTI that over 99 per cent buses were cancelled from this region and buses leaving from Visakhapatnam, Rajahmundry, Amalapuram, Ramachandrapuram, Kakinada to Hyderabad and other Telangana areas were cancelled and passengers faced problems.

Even ticket reservations to Hyderabad were cancelled due to the bandh. APSRTC runs over 100 buses daily from Visakhapatam, Rajahmundry, Kakinada and other coastal areas to Hyderabad.

The South Central Railway (SCR) trains from the coastal Andhra left with least passengers as most of the passengers cancelled their reservation, a spokesman of SCR said.

Rosaiah's appeal

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah called on fasting Telangana Rashtra Samiti president K Chandrasekhara Rao at the NIMS in Hyderabad late Sunday night and appealed him to end his fast.

However, the former union minister who has been on a fast for the past seven days refused to heed and said he would continue his fast till a favourable decision on Telangana was announced.

The chief minister was accompanied by former union minister Ajit Singh and state Health Minister Danam Nagender.