Buses stopped at Telangana border

HYDERABAD: Hundreds of passengers were stranded Monday as buses coming from coastal Andhra towards Hyderabad were stopped at the border of the Telangana region in view of threats from groups fighting for a separate Telangana state.Over 50 private buses coming to Hyderabad from Vijayawada, about 300 km from here, and other towns in coastal Andhra were stopped by authorities at Garikapadu checkpost on the border between Krishna and Nalgonda districts.Hundreds of passengers had been stranded from 4.30 a.m. as private bus operators alleged that the Nalgonda police had refused to provide them an escort.Police officers, however, said it would be difficult for them to provide escorts to every vehicle, especially during the day when pro-Telangana protestors are likely to stop the buses.Some passengers lodged protests with authorities saying they were being subjected to hardship as they had to reach Hyderabad to attend offices and visit hospitals. The police then allowed the vehicles up to Kodad so the stranded passengers could have breakfast.Police told the passengers that they couldn't take chances by allowing buses to pass through Nalgonda district during the day in view of the threats from protestors.One passenger said he saw some buses returning to Vijayawada from the checkpost.Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC) chairman M. Kodandaram has already threatened to stop buses operating between coastal Andhra and Hyderabad.With state-owned Road Transport Corporation (RTC) buses off the roads for two weeks due to the strike by employees in Telangana region, private operators are running more buses on the Vijayawada-Hyderabad route.Thousands of people from Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Rajhamundry, Eluru, Guntur and other towns in coastal Andhra travel to Hyderabad each day.Telangana activists last week set on fire private buses and damaged the window panes of some other vehicles during protests on the highway on the outskirts of Hyderabad and also in Nalgonda district.