As the Telangana political JAC–sponsored 48-hour bandh began across Telangana this morning, normal public life came to a grinding halt in all the T districts including Hyderabad. The APSRTC voluntarily withdrew its city services in the state capital city and the long distance services to and from Hyderabad were also cancelled as a precautionary measure.

All public and private offices wore a deserted look because of the bandh and most of the employees and other citizens were confined to their homes. Most of the educational institutions, business establishments, petrol bunks and shops remained closed in Hyderabad and the city’s main roads were relieved of their traffic woes thanks to the shutdown.

Along with the RTC, the south central railway also cancelled most of its suburban services since midnight last night for fear of being attacked. While the universities in the T region cancelled the examinations scheduled for today and tomorrow, students along with TRS and JAC activists took to the streets to enforce the bandh.

Most of the Telangana districts observed total bandh and the coal production in state-owned Singareni Collieries Company Limited came to a halt as the employees joined the strike. Along with the employees of the Singareni Collieries, RTC employees too participated in the processions and rallies taken out by the T leaders as part of the bandh.