GoM on Telangana begins work, Seemandhra limping back to normalcy

However, over six lakh government employees in all 13 Seemandhra districts continued their two-month long strike, with their leader P. Ashok Babu making it clear that the stir would continue till a clear assurance that the state would not be split.

Though employees of state-owned Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) are reportedly willing to end their strike, talks between their leaders and the chief minister did not take place Friday.

Various sections of employees ended their agitation after the chief minister assured them that the issue of formation of Telangana would be referred to state assembly twice, once for its opinion and the second time for voting.

He also assured that all legislators from Seemandhra would ensure the defeat of the Telangana state bill.

The employees' leaders said the chief minister quoted Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh as saying that the issue would be referred twice to the state assembly, after Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde's statement that the bill would be sent to assembly only for its opinion had created confusion among employees coming forward to call off the strike.

Protests continued in Seemandhra, with employees, students among others taking out rallies and formed human chains.

In Delhi, hospital officials told IANS that Chandrababu Naidu's condition is stable.

RML Hospital's medical superintendent H.K. Kar told IANS that the former Andhra Pradesh chief minister refused to be administered a glucose drip but drank water. Efforts were on to persuade him, he added.