Hyderabad, November 21: With protests rocking Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions over the postponement of the written examination for SI recruitment, the State government has launched measures to bring back normalcy in the regions. Ministers from the regions convened an emergency meeting in the chambers of revenue minister D Prasada Rao to discuss steps to calm down the protestors and cooperate with the State government to maintain peace and order besides charting out a plan to ensure smooth conduct of the written examination.
Home minister P Sabitha Indra Reddy later joined the deliberations among ministers D Prasada Rao, B Satyanarayana, P Balaraju, V Vasanth Kumar and P Silpa Mohan Reddy and explained to them the current situation. Measures were being taken to conduct the exam at the earliest, she said and sought their cooperation and suggestions in dealing with the sensitive situation.
The home minister later told newsmen that the State government was taking all measures in its purview in dealing with the situation. The issue of deleting clause 14(f) from the Presidential Order had already been taken up with the Central government. A special officer was being deputed to expedite the matter with the Centre, she said. Major irrigation minister P Lakshmaiah was also present.
Earlier in the day, Sabitha Indra Reddy met chief minister K Rosaiah at his residence and briefed him about the agitations in Coastal Andhra and Rayalseema regions and the measures being taken to control them.
Panchayat raj minister B Satyanarayana said the decision to postpone the examination was taken by the State government with the consent of ministers from all three regions. He said they were ministers for the entire state but not for specific regions and the decision was taken to maintain peace in the State. The decision was neither in favour nor against the candidates/students of any region, he said.
–Agencies