The stand-off between the state government and the students protesting against the decision to conduct recruitment tests for the posts of sub-inspectors (SI) of police across the state ended on Friday, with the government being forced to postpone the examination scheduled for December 18th and 19th.
The postponement announced by the government comes as a breather to the agitating students, and to the people across Telangana region who were kept on tenterhooks by the adamant attitude of both the parties involved.
Chief Minister K Rosaiah had announced on Thursday that the government would go ahead and conduct the test across the state barring Hyderabad which is the bone of contention in the free zone issue.
Addressing a crowded media meeting at the Secretariat on Friday, Home Minister P Sabitha Indra Reddy said, "Keeping many aspects in view including the interests of the unemployed aspirants, the government has decided that the much-awaited SI test should be postponed."
Though it was obvious that the government had bowed to the demands from the opposition and the striking students, and had postponed the said exam, Reddy demurred from answering whether the government had succumbed to the 'pressures' by the agitating students.
The minister, of course, appealed to all sections to cooperate with the government. She said that the government had thought over the issue from all aspects and contemplated to postpone the test.
The Home Minister also admitted that the SI exam should be held in a an amiable atmosphere and that the government was not adamant in that regard. Further, she said that she had tried to clarify all doubts raised regarding the deletion of Clause 14 (F) from the Presidential Order.
The Chief Minister is also understood to have spoken to Union Home Minister P Chidambaram for over half an hour emphasising the need to dispose off the Clause 14 (F). The Home Minister revealed that Rosaiah had also dashed off a letter to the central government on that point.
To follow it up further, an officer had been deputed to New Delhi for getting the file cleared, Reddy informed.
Besides, the Chief Minister himself would go to New Delhi for personally clarifying any query raised by the central government, the minister said.