The Telangana Political Joint Action Committee on Friday postponed the `Rail-roko agitation, earlier scheduled for October 9 to 11, to October 12, 13 and 14.
"The Rail-roko will be now held on October 12, 13 and 14," JAC Convener M Kodandaram told reporters, after a meeting of the JAC leaders including TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao.
The decision was taken as some other programmes had been planned during October 9-11, he said. The pro-Telangana employees of Andhra Pradesh government, who have been participating in the general strike since September 13, will hold a public meeting and the JAC leaders will take out a yatra (march) to state-run Singareni Collieries during the three days, he said.
The JAC convener has demanded that the state government supply seven hours-a-day power to farmers. The state government asserts that the strike by pro-Telangana staff of Singareni collieries has resulted in shortage in power production.
The JAC will hold a meeting of all pro-Telangana outfits (which are its members) on Saturday.
The status of the ongoing `Sakala Janula Samme' (strike by all sections of people) will be reviewed and the future course of action will be announced, the JAC convener said.
Replying to a query, the TRS president said the JAC had its own strategy if the government tried to foil the rail-roko.
Meanwhile, AP State Road Transport Corporation's managing director, B Prasada Rao, said the public transporter had suffered a loss of Rs 120 crore because of the strike during the last 20 days.
The state government and the railway authorities got a breather as the Telangana protagonists deferred their rail-roko agitation from October 9, 10 and 11 to 12, 13 and 14.
"We will take a decision in a couple of days on whether to run services on those days. We would like to run services so as to avoid inconvenience to passengers, but we can't put anyone in danger," South Central Railway general manager (in-charge) R Vijay Mohan told reporters after a meeting with Chief Secretary Pankaj Dwivedi and Additional Director General of police, GRP, Varun Sindhu Kul Kaumudi this evening.
The state police is drawing up a plan to deploy additional security forces at railway stations and along the racks during the agitation. Though the state authorities are keen on running the trains with police security, the railway officials want to take the call only after obtaining directions from the Railway Board, sources said.
