Forest employees defer stir as TTD invites leaders for talks

Tirupati: The 48-hour hunger strike called by the TTD Forest Employees Union (TTDFEU) affiliated to CITU has been deferred as the TTD JEO Sada Bhargavi invited the leaders for a talks on the employees issue. The employees as announced earlier assembled in considerable number near the TTD Administrative Building on Wednesday for observing the fast.

However, the police prevented them for nearly two hours leading to employees squatting on the road itself and started their pre-announce hunger strike. Even as the leaders preferred to go ahead with the fast, they were invited by the management for the talks resulting in its deferment.

Addressing the gathered employees earlier, CITU district secretary Kandarapu Murali who led the fast criticised the management for its apathy in fulfilling the demand of providing timescale. He questioned the TTD management whether a nine- month long struggle was needed by the employees just for making the officials to implement TTD Board resolution and also implementation of High Court verdict over the employees' issue. He demanded the TTD authorities to give timescale immediately.

Earlier, no sooner the employees gathered in a huge number, a big contingent of police reached at the place resulting in tension prevailing for some time. With the intervention of TTD JEO Sada Bhargavi who invited the employees union leaders for talks on Thursday, the police heaved a sigh of relief with the deferment of the hunger strike.

Republican Party Founder President P Anjaiah, senior journalist Raghava Sarma, INTUC District Secretary Ratna Kumar, CPM town secretary T Subramanyam, AIDWA leader P Sai Lakshmi, TTDFEU leaders K Suresh, Eswar Reddy, Purushotham, Vasu, Malli, Venkat Reddy, Kesavulu, Krishna and others were also present.