Telangana issue hits Group-I recruitment exam

HYDERABAD: The examination for recruitment of Group-I service officers in Andhra Pradesh scheduled for September 5 has come under a cloud with students and political leaders from Telangana demanding postponement of exam till the share of Telangana in recruitment is decided.The Students from Telangana region have said that injustice has been meted out to the region in the past and demanded at least 42 per cent reservation in recruitment.Those from non-Telangana region have opposed any such move.The examination should not be held until "the share of Telangana is decided", the students Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Osmania University and other Telangana leaders said.Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission, however, has indicated that it would go ahead with the exam as scheduled.The TRS and Telangana leaders from TDP and Congress have supported the demand for postponing the exam and put forward their demand before Chief Minister K Rosaiah.The Chief Minister should intervene in the issue immediately and see that the exam is postponed, TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao said in Warangal.Alleging that APPSC Chairman A Venkatram Reddy is corrupt and discriminated against Telangana in the recruitment process, Rao demanded that he be removed from the post forthwith.Demanding the postponement of the exam, ABVP activists held a protest outside the state Secretariat today, while another group of Telangana supporters organised a protest at the APPSC office.Meanwhile, the Joint Action Committee of students in non-Telangana regions demanded that the exam be conducted as per schedule. It also called for a shut down in universities in the regions tomorrow."The exam has already been postponed twice. The state government should not give in to the blackmailing politics of Telangana supporters," they said.Congress and TDP leaders from non-Telangana regions urged the government not to postpone the examination.State Panchayat Raj Minister B Satyanarayana, who hails from coastal Andhra, appealed to the Telangana supporters not to press for postponing the exam."The Sri Krishna committee is looking into the whole issue and will submit its report in another three months.I appeal to all not to play with the future of the students," he said.Meanwhile, the state police has made elaborate arrangements to ensure that the examination is conducted without any untoward incident.State DGP K Aravinda Rao has directed the police officials to impose prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPc and Section 30 of Police Act in the vicinity of the exam centers.They were asked to provide three-levels of security at each examination centre for proper checking, frisking and screening of candidates.The DGP said video cameras would be used to record the events at the exam centres. Mobile-patrolling would be done and supervisory officers posted to oversee the security arrangements.