In a significant development in the separate Telangana state agitation, the Clause 14 (f) of the 1975 Presidential Order, which had made Hyderabad a free zone for employment, was deleted on Friday.
The Andhra Pradesh capital ceases to be a free zone for employment, and would become a part of other Telangana districts. It has been a long-pending demand of pro-Telangana groups.
The Hyderabad free zone issue has long been contentious, and it was on this issue that Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhar Rao had staged his famous fast-unto-death in 2009.
TRS and the Telangana supporters staged agitations, which led to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly passing an unanimous resolution in March 2010, urging the Centre to obtain the approval of the President for deletion of 14 (f).
The deletion of 14 (f) had acquired a sense of urgency as Telangana student groups and political parties had demanded postponement of the police sub-inspector recruitment test scheduled for August 13 and 14.
The deletion was hailed by leaders across the political spectrum, and the Telangana supporters. "We thank the President, prime minister, home minister, chief minister for getting 14 (f) deleted. We also appeal to the students of non-Telangana regions not to have any misconceptions," Gandra Venkataramana Reddy, Congress MLA from the region, told reporters.
Congress MP from Karimnagar in Telangana, Ponnam Prabhakar, welcomed the repeal of the Clause 14 (f), but sought postponement of Saturday's exam in Zone VI of Telangana districts, saying that Telangana students could not have prepared well due to the agitations.
Hailing the deletion, Telangana Telugu Desam Party leaders too sought postponement of the exam.
"The test, to be held on Saturday and day after should be postponed. The government should take up sub-inspector recruitment after giving clarity on the number of vacant posts in Hyderabad and the Zone VI," E Dayakar Rao, TDP's Telangana Forum leader, said in Delhi.
Describing the repeal as a victory of Telangana people, particularly students and employees, the Telangana political Joint Action Committee Convener M Kodandaram also demanded a postponement of the exam by a month.
The JAC convener also demanded that the whole Clause 14 be deleted from the 1975 Presidential Order. TRS and Bharatiya Janata Party have also demanded postponement of the exam.
However, state Home Minister P Sabita Indra Reddy said the exam would be held on Saturday as per the schedule. Meanwhile, the deletion of 14 (f) was protested by students of coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions in some places.
Congress MP from Vijayawada in coastal Andhra, L Rajagopal, said the free zone issue was not an issue merely of Telangana and non-Telangana regions, but it concerned various zones. But the deletion may help in softening of the stance of Telangana Congress MPs and state ministers from the region regarding staying away from official duties.
The Telangana Congress MPs have been boycotting the ongoing Parliament session, and the ministers are staying away from official work.
Asked if the Telangana Congress MPs and state ministers would lift this boycott, Lok Sabha member Ponnam Prabhakar said all matters would be discussed in the meeting of Telangana Congress leaders, to be held on August 14.
