Centre puts a spanner in new zonal system
Union government wants local quota to be cut from 95% to 85%.
Hyderabad: The Telangana government's new zonal system according 95 per cent reservations for locals in government jobs is facing a new hurdle. Though the Centre made it clear that it had no objection in approving the new zonal system, it wanted the state government to reduce the local quota to 85 per cent on the ground that 15 per cent quota for non-locals will be 'reasonable' and offering only 5 per cent quota for non-locals would adversely affect them.
The new zonal system is awaiting approval from the Centre which has delayed the recruitment drives for government jobs. Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is on a visit to Delhi and he is expected to take up this matter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi when they meet. Sources said Mr Rao was willing to bring down the local quota to 85 per cent if the Centre insists on it.
When he met the PM in New Delhi on August 5, the CM had submitted a representation requesting the Centre for approval to the new zonal system. Mr Modi had forwarded the request to the home ministry for immediate approval. The home ministry raised no objections but returned the file to the PM with a query on 95 per cent quota for local residents. In May, the Telangana Cabinet approved the new zonal system creating seven zones and two multi-zones by reorganising 31 districts. Soon after the cabinet meeting, the CM rushed to Delhi to meet the PM and Union home minister Rajnath Singh.
Though he could not get an appointment to meet the PM, he met Mr Rajnath Singh and sought approval. With no progress in the matter till August 5, the Mr Rao went to Delhi and met the PM. The new zonal system was necessitated after state government increased the number of districts from 10 to 31 in October 2016. While 95 per cent of government jobs are reserved for the local residents under this new system, they can vie for the other five per cent too based on merit. In order to be classified as a local resident, the candidate must have studied in a particular zone for four years between Class 1 and 7.