Centre pours cold water on ‘local status’

HYDERABAD: In a major dampener for the state, the Centre has asked the AP government to “justify” its request seeking grant of ‘local status’ to the people of Andhra origin who have migrated to other states, if they choose to return before June 30, 2017. The Union home ministry’s latest missive is likely to affect chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s plans to shift all government staffers from Hyderabad to Vijayawada by June-end.
State government employees have made it clear that they will not move out of Hyderabad unless the issue of ‘local status’ is settled.
In a letter written to chief secretary IYR Krishna Rao, the Union home ministry has made it clear that it would not move forward on the request for change in ‘local status’ rules unless the state government “justifies” it within the legal framework. It also asked the state government to send copies of the amendments made four decades ago to the two major Acts that govern ‘local status’ -- AP Educational Institutions (Regulation of admission) Act 1974 and AP Public Employment (organization of local cadre and regulation of direct recruitment) Act 1975.
“In fact, the amendments were carried out by the Centre. But for reasons known to it, the Union home ministry has asked us to provide copies of the amendments,” said a senior official in the state government.
The Centre has also raised questions on the likely consequences of such an amendment in other states and asked the AP government to give its justifications. This has come as a shock to the state government, which is busy making preparations for the shifting of employees from Hyderabad to Vijayawada.