APSEB Engineers Associations made it clear that their agitation against privatisation would continue and they could not be cowed down by state government with ESMA. About two thousand engineers from different districts participated in a rally in Hyderabad on Monday, responding to call by APSEB Engineers Association and APSEB Assistant Engineers Association.

Their Chalo Hyderabad rally named 'Vande Mataram' was a grand success despite threatening by state government that action would be taken against them under ESMA. Policemen were in full strength all along the route and meeting venue. Barbed wire barricades were put across the road leading to secretariat. They assembled at Sundarayya Vignana Kendram and marched towards Indira park raising slogans against world Bank. Leaders of Engineers in their speeches said that work to rule would continue upto 16th May after which indefinite strike would follow. They said they would go for talks with government only if ESMA was withdrawn. They would not allow state electricity board that was built up during past fifty years to be handed over to others. They said their agitation is not only for their interests, but also to safe gaurd the interests of people of the state. APSEB engineers association president Venkata Reddy, who presided over the gathering, in his speech condemned the brutal lathicharge on Anganwadi Workers few weeks ago, While they were holding demonstration in Hyderabad. He further said the assests of state electricity board cost Rupees Eighty Thousand Crores. They questioned the authority of state government to under value those assets. He questioned the state government, Why are you preparing to hand over assets worth Rupees Eighty Thousand Crore to world Bank Since it offered a loan of Rupees Four Thousand Crore. He criticised BJP, Congress and TDP government are attempting to convert the country again into a colonial country. He recalled formation of Joint Action Committee to protect Electricity Board and at that time state government, has sent some of the leaders on foreign trips and some others were threatened and thus forced to sign on tripartite agreement. And now state government is voilating even that agreement. If things continue to go on as now the electricity set up in A.P. would also collapse totally just as in Orissa.