HYDERABAD: Hyderabad will remain in Zone VI and not form part of free zone as demanded by some political leaders.

A decision to this effect was reportedly taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy on Saturday to discuss the implementation of GO 610 to provide jobs for locals in Telangana. It was felt that any attempt to declare the State capital a free zone would lead to unnecessary controversy as there was a proposal to merge municipalities and gram panchayats around the capital to create Greater Hyderabad.

The meeting was attended by members of the Group of Ministers on GO 610 headed by Sports Minister M. Satyanarayana Rao and comprising Ministers D. Srinivas and D. S. Redya Naik and Chief Secretary J. Harinarayana. Significantly, the meeting resolved to do away with the controversial GO 72 that sought to give effect to the recommendations of the Girglani Commission set up to study violations in the implementation of GO 610. Dr. Reddy, according to sources in his office, wanted GO 610 to be implemented in toto and a new order issued for the purpose.

Sources explained that if Hyderabad were declared a free zone, more than 2.5 lakh posts in various corporations would have to be brought under the purview of the Presidential Order leading to reservation of posts on local and non-local basis. Former bureaucrat J. M. Girglani himself had gone on record to term as `unfair' the demand to declare Hyderabad a free zone, and wanted the Government to clarify its position to avoid confusion.

Fresh zone

He had pointed out that there was no such thing called free zone.

"They are calling Hyderabad a free zone because offices that are not under the purview of the Presidential Order [State-level offices] are located here," he said, pointing out that only institutions had been freed and not Hyderabad city.

Meanwhile, Minister for Rural Development D. Srinivas said the State Government would come up with a policy framework to implement the GO 610.

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