Hyderabad, Dec 28 (IANS) The all-party Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Telangana Sunday decided to intensify agitation for a separate statehood to the region and called for a shutdown Dec 30.

After a six-hour long meeting to chalk out the strategy, the JAC announced that protest rallies would be taken out across the region Dec 28-29 to demand the central government immediately start the process for formation of Telangana state.

The JAC chaired by M. Kodandaram also demanded that the government immediately withdraw cases booked against those participating in the agitation. It called up on government employees and lawyers in the region to boycott their duties till the cases were withdrawn.

It also called upon the government to withdraw additional police and paramilitary forces deployed in the region.

The JAC also decided that Assembly Speaker Kirankumar Reddy would be urged to accept the resignations of the legislators.

About 70 out of 119 legislators from the region have submitted their resignation demanding separate Telangana.

This was the first meeting of JAC attended by leaders of all major parties including ruling Congress, opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS).

TDP leader N. Janardhan Reddy told reporters that they have joined JAC to achieve the goal of separate state.