Deleting clause 14 (f)- What it does for Hyderabad?

Before getting into this issue let us take a look at what the opinion regarding 14(f) is from both sides. A person from Telangana would say that the dominance of persons from the Andhra and Rayalseema belt in the police force means that their movement seeking a seperate state will be curbed. A person from Andhra or Rayalseema would however point out that there was a need to have more of their people in the police force since the people of Telangana had attacked most of them and since the police force in 1969 were dominated by the people of Telangana the residents from other parts of the state got absolutely no protection.

Speaking to a cross section of people from Andhra Pradesh one gets the clear picture and that the real fight is to put in more people from their respective regions into the police force. This is evident since the biggest demand now by the activists is that if the government has decided to delete clause 14(f) then they should postpone the examinations for the posts of Sub Inspectors to be held on August 13 and 14. The examination should not take place under the existing set up, they say.

There is a unanimous resolution by the Andhra Pradesh government to strike out 14(f) and the matter is today before the President of India. Although the Telangana activists feel that this is just a minor victory in their agitation, it still would calm the nerves of many. The people of Andhra and Rayalseema too have decided to make their peace with the deletion of this cause. They say that for the time being there is no issue since after the clause is deleted it would mean that the personnel from Andhra and Rayalseema in the existing police force continue to serve in Hyderabad and they will not be transferred.

In the year 1969 when the agitation for a separate Telangana was at its peak it was decided that Hyderabad shall become a free zone. The non Telangana residents living in Hyderabad especially had complained that the Telangana activists were attacking them and they had absolutely no protection from the police since the force were filled with people from Telangana. There is however a counter argument to this by the Telangana activists who say that Hyderabad was made a free zone so that people from Andhra and Rayalseema could be inducted into the police with an intention of curbing the movement.

In the year 1972 the zonal system was brought into force and under this there were six zones. The clause regarding 14(f) applied mainly to the sixth zone which comprised Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy, Medak, Nizamabad, Mehboobnagar and Nalgunda. These areas which were not a free zone as per the compromise agreement during the merger were once again made a free zone.

The question now is what changes once clause 14(f) is deleted by the President of India in the case of Hyderabad. This would mean that in respect of the appointment of gazetted officers 70 per cent of the jobs would be reserved for locals while 30 per cent would be open to all.

In the case of non gazetted officers, 85 per cent of the jobs would be reserved for locals while the remaining 15 per cent would be open to all. The contentious issue regarding the appointment of Sub Inspectors would also have the same rule in place with 85 per cent of these jobs going to the locals and the remaining be open to all.

What one needs to understand in this case is the term local that is used very constantly. A local does not necessarily mean an original resident of Telangana. Any person from Andhra or Rayalseema who has lived in Hyderabad for seven years in a row becomes a local and is eligible for the quota falling either under the 70 per cent of 85 per cent bracket. If a person has not lived for seven years in Hyderabad but has studied four years in a row in the city then he too becomes a local and is eligible for this quota.

The activitsts from Telangana however point out that the deletion of this clause would be a small victory for them and also the people of Andhra and Rayalseema cannot complain about it. This is mainly because their own representatives have unanimously resolved to get this clause deleted and introduce a quota into Hyderabad. This would help our people get more jobs and they shall not be deprived like they have always been, the activists point out.

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