TS, AP officials to meet again in Delhi

The officials of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are all set to meet again and thrash out issues pertaining to division of assets between the two States as per the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act. The Union Home Secretary will chair the high-level meeting scheduled to be held in New Delhi on August 8, which will take up eight major issues of contention.

Though the Centre had communicated the eight-point agenda for discussion, officials of the two States are busy preparing an official document on the status of the implementation of the AP Bifurcation Act. They are also likely to take up pending promises made by the Centre to both the States during formation of Telangana State.

Both the States are likely to reach an agreement on issues pertaining to Andhra Pradesh Bhavan in New Delhi. Though the AP government made different proposals for division of AP Bhavan, the Telangana government had unequivocally rejected them. The Telangana government argued that the property was given to undivided Andhra Pradesh by the Union government in exchange for Hyderabad House which was a property of the then Hyderabad State before the formation of Andhra Pradesh. It had sought the property to be handed over to the State and was willing to pay compensation to Andhra Pradesh government in this regard.

The State government is gearing up to present a strong case in defence of its stand pertaining to the division of the institutions under Schedule IX of the Reorganisation



Act. Of the total 91 institutions under Schedule IX, issues pertaining to 44 had been cleared and disputes are persisting in respect of 38 institutions. Efforts are being made to ensure institution-wise status to the neighbouring State incorporating the objections raised by the Telangana government to certain recommendations made by the Sheela Bhide Committee. However, the then AP government issued orders dividing about 40 organisations as per the Committee recommendations, without consulting the Telangana government.

The division of Andhra Pradesh Heavy Machinery and Engineering Limited (APHMEL), Andhra Pradesh State Finance Corporation and other properties listed under Schedule IX, also will be taken up during the meeting. While the AP government has been seeking division of APHMEL under a 58:42 ratio as the institution’s headquarters are geographically located in Vijayawada, but the Telangana government pointed out that the Telangana-based Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) owns major shares in the company and hence it cannot agree with its Andhra Pradesh counterpart. Issue pertaining to payment of arrears between the power distribution companies is expected to be resolved during the meeting. While AP is seeking payment of Rs 5,732 crore from Telangana for supply of power to the latter, the State government asserted that after settling all accounts, it was AP which needs to pay Rs 2,405 crore to Telangana but not otherwise.