Andhra Pradesh   

All-party meet demands scrapping of GO 72

Special Correspondent

Even a section of Congress MLAs seeks modification of order

HYDERABAD: Opposition parties in Andhra Pradesh demanded in one voice the scrapping of a recent Government Order (GO 72) which seeks to give effect to the recommendations of the JM Girglani Commission saying that it was contrary to the spirit of the Presidential Order.

At an all-party meeting held here on Monday under the chairmanship of Minister for Cultural Affairs M. Satyanarayana Rao, even a section of Congress MLAs sought modification of the GO 72 although the party's official line was to support the order since it was based on the report of a Group of Ministers.

Heated argument

Sparks flew at the meeting which lasted close to three hours when Gade Venkat Reddy, Congress MLA, and his TRS counterpart T. Harish Rao entered into a heated argument over the number of non-local Government employees working in Hyderabad.

Mr. Venkat Reddy asked the TRS member to make a distinction between non-locals and Andhras as most of those facing repatriation in the event of implementation of the GO 610 could be those from Nalgonda and Nizamabad. He ridiculed a challenge by Mr. Rao for an open debate.

Mr. Venkat Reddy insisted that the Government should implement the GO 610 and six-point formula in toto, while another Congress legislator G. Chinna Reddy was of the opinion that GO 72 was unacceptable in the present form.

Minsters Koneru Ranga Rao and D. Srinivas and floor leaders G. Vijayarama Rao (TRS), N. Narasimhaiah (CPI-M), C. Venkata Reddy (CPI), Akaburddin Owaisi (MIM), G. Kishan Reddy (BJP), K. Ramulu (Janata Party) and TDP deputy floor leader T. Devender Goud attended the meeting. Mr. Satyanarayana Rao told reporters later that he would convey the feelings of the members to Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy.

"I am convinced by the version of the officials about the issuance of GO 72," the Minister said and held that it was not at all against the GO 610.

"The officials admitted that there was some difference in usage of language in the GO which has created a misunderstanding," he said.

The meeting was convened to avoid ruckus in the House over the issue, Mr. Satyanarayana Rao said.

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