Telangana police job aspirants protest GO 46, demand 20,000 police jobs
Hyderabad: Telangana police job aspirants have levelled serious allegations against both the previous and current governments for doing injustice to them. They claim that the current government is taking undue credit for past recruitments. And they argue that a contentious Government Order (GO) 46 continues to hinder their employment prospects.
Contentious GO 46
The core of the protest revolves around GO 46, issued in 2022. Speaking to HyderabadMail, Shimbu Naik Banoth from Warangal district, one of the members of Telangana State Police Unemployed Joint Action Committee (JAC) and a police aspirant, said, “The Telangana state police recruitment 2022 notification issued during the previous government's tenure led to severe problems for many unemployed individuals due to G.O. No. 46. Due to the district-cadre system introduced by G.O. 46, students from rural areas were severely affected.”
He further cited examples where a student scoring 120 marks did not get a job, while another with 90 marks in districts like Sangareddy or Ranga Reddy was selected. They alleged that 16 aspirants died by suicide due to the distress caused by the issue.
Another police aspirant Akash Goud added that the preliminary and mains examinations for the 2020 police notification were conducted by the previous BRS government. He contested the present Congress government's claims of taking undue credit for past recruitments.
The JAC reminded the Congress government that it came to power with the support of unemployed youth, having promised to repeal GO 46. “We are running from pillar to post. With whose support did you come to power?” questioned Naveen Patnayak, an aspirant from Jayashankar Bhupalpally.
Allegations of past and present failure
The JAC alleged that the main reason for the issues was that the chairman of the Telangana Police Recruitment Board, VV Srinivasa Rao, who is a Telangana cader IPS officer hailing from Andhra Pradesh.
Furthermore, the JAC accused the current government of repeating the same mistakes. They expressed specific concern about the continuation of VV Srinivasa Rao as the chairman of the Telangana State Level Police Recruitment Board (TSLPRB). They demanded his immediate removal and an inquiry into selections involving alleged fake certificates. “What is the hegemony of Andhra officials in Telangana jobs?” they questioned.
Aspirants said GO 46 has been unfair and has cost many qualified students their chance at jobs. They blamed Board Chairman VV Srinivas Rao, questioning his continued tenure despite allegations of irregularities.
“There was a stay from the court, yet the results were released in a hurry,” said an aspirant named Shankar. He alleged that 60 individuals with fake certificates were caught and questioned about whether jobs were ‘sold.’
Local status and NCC
The JAC demands a fair policy for determining local status based on whether someone studied in Telangana from class 6 to class 10, not just for any four years. Regarding the government's policy on local status, Naveen Patnayak said, “Those who studied in Telangana for only four years, even in early grades, either from 1st to 4th or 4th to 7th class, would be considered locals.” This, they fear, is leading to jobs being awarded to applicants from Andhra Pradesh, as many are allegedly obtaining bona fide certificates dishonestly. They demanded that the locality be determined based on studying from class six to class ten.
They also said the way marks weightage given for NCC certificates is unfair. For instance, an 'A' certificate is obtained in 9th-10th class, while a 'B' certificate will be obtained in Intermediate, and a 'C' certificate is obtained during the Degree or Bachelor of Technology, explained Naveen Patnayak. Further, Patnayak argued that an 'A' certificate, earned in school, is being treated the same as a 'C' certificate, which is earned during a degree or B.Tech. Naveen Patnayak explained that each certificate involves different levels of training and testing, so they should not be treated as equal.
List of Demands and a Warning
The JAC presented a list of demands, including the immediate issuance of a notification for 20,000 police posts, comprising 18,000 constable posts and 2,000 sub-inspector posts. They called for the exemption of G.O. 46 from the recruitment process, an increase in the maximum age limit for applicants to 35 years, and clarity on physical measurement standards and other events in advance.
The JAC questioned the whereabouts of Congress leaders, including Telangana Chief Minister (CM) A. Revanth Reddy and others, who had allegedly assured the repeal of G.O. 46 before coming to power. They also asked about the status of a cabinet sub-committee formed to repeal the GO. The aspirants warned that a government that “cheated the unemployed youth will not be in power for many years.” They appealed for a direct meeting with the government to resolve the issues, stating they are confident the ongoing Supreme Court case regarding GO 46 will be decided in their favour.
The JAC stated that for those who had “overthrown a government by believing the promises of Congress leaders, overthrowing this government is not a big deal.” They also threatened to demonstrate their strength in the upcoming local body elections.
