Clause 14 F Deleted

The controversial 14 F clause has been deleted.

President Pratibha Patil signed the relevant file in New Delhi and issued orders today, according to Backward Classes Welfare Minister Basavaraju Sariah. A notification to this effect was also issued by the Union Home Ministry.

Speaking to media persons at the Secretariat on Friday, the BC Welfare Minister said the President cleared the file and issued orders for the deletion of the Clause 14 F, facilitating the placement of Hyderabad in Zone 6.

With effect from today, the Hyderabad is no longer a free zone, he stated.

It may be recalled that under former chief minister K Rosaiah, the state Assembly passed a unanimous resolution in 2010 for the deletion of Clause 14 F, which was forwarded to the Centre for further action.

But for various reasons, the process of deletion was delayed despite pressure mounted by the Opposition parties, including the Telangana Rashtra Samiti, for scrapping the said clause.

At one stage, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram had conveyed to Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy the need to pass another resolution on the floor of the House as the deletion was being opposed by Seemandhra legislators.

However, the voting pattern on the said second resolution would have been different if it was introduced a second time in the changed circumstances.

There were protests from the Telangana Joint Action Committee and other Opposition parties - TDP, TRS and BJP - for a second resolution by the state Assembly.

Hhyderabad, along with other districts - Medak, Nalgonda, Rangareddy, Mahaboobnagar and Nizambabad - now fallsunder zone 6, said Union Home Minister P Chidambaram.

Minister Sariah thanked the CM, P Chidambaram and the President for deleting the controversial clause.

Prior to 1975, Hyderabad was under Zone 6, but in October 1975, the clause was amended to make Hyderabad a free zone to make all candidates eligible to apply for police recruitments.

Now, after the deletion of the clause, the criteria for eligibility for police recruitment in Hyderabad change. Only candidates from Zone 6 will be eligible for these recruitments. (INN)