 "Andhra CM seeks local status for people wanting to return from Telangana")
In a significant move, Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu today requested Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to make changes in Article 371 D of the Constitution for creating a window for relocation of people who are willing to come back from Telangana and settle down in the residuary state.
To enable equitable opportunities for people of different areas of the combined state in matters of education and employment, Article 371 D and 371 E were inserted in the Constitution by 32nd amendment.
Under these Articles, a criteria was laid down for determining the local status of people living in different areas based on which they get preferential treatment in education and employment available in their respective areas.
Chief minister Naidu in a 7-page letter to Rajnath Singh requested for suitable amendments so that "any candidate who migrates to any part of Andhra Pradesh from Telangana after bifurcation within a period of 3 years from the date of bifurcation will have the local status of the place where they choose to reside on par with candidates who are having local status of that area."
The move was primarily aimed at persuading the employees of AP government who are working in the joint capital to quickly shift to AP from Hyderabad as the employees demanding local status for their families for their relocation to the new capital region.
However, any one who is willing to move to his native place in AP from Telangana will be benefited by these changes as requested by the state government.
About 30, 000 employees are working in AP secretariat and in various heads of departments of AP government in Hyderabad city. The state government has already taken steps to shift its staff along with the departments to Vijayawada and relocate them in temporary offices this year.
It may be recalled that a couple of months back the chief minister had shifted his base to Vijayawada completely though he first wanted to spend 3-4 days a week in Vijayawada and the rest of the time in Hyderabad as it continues to be the joint capital for ten years after bifurcation.
Chief minister Naidu cited an extreme instance to highlight the urgency of the matter.
"The situation is already leading to incidents of extreme steps being taken by affected people out of frustration. Recently, one Sri Durga Prasad who shifted from Hyderabad to West Godavari district of AP attempted suicide as his daughter was declared ineligible by the district selection committee of West Godavari district, because of not completing the minimum 4 years of education in that local area of West Godavari district," he said in that letter.
The chief minister stated that Article 371 D of the Constitution had conferred the power on the President of India to issue orders in respect of these matters pertaining to Andhra Pradesh.