Vijayawada, Sept. 27 -- Hundreds of village and ward secretariat employees staged a protest at the Dharna Chowk here on Sunday demanding that the Andhra Pradesh government concede their demands for wage hike and promotions.

The dharna was in response to the village and ward secretariat employees union recently giving a 'Chalo Vijayawada' call.

The employees squatted on the road raising slogans. Police carried out a mild lathicharge to disperse them.

Meanwhile, the Guntur Municipal Corporation commissioner suspended village and ward secretariat employees' union president Rajaq, stating that when the State was struggling with heavy rains, floods and El Nino effect, hundreds of employees launching agitation was improper. However, the CITUC ...