There seems to be some movement in the resolution of the bifurcation issues between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
The official committees constituted by the two States to hold negotiations on amicable resolution of the pending issues are expected to meet at Tirupati on December 2. Chief Secretary A. Santhi Kumari is heading the three-member committee of Telangana comprising Finance special chief secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao and CMO principal secretary V. Seshadri as its members. Ms. Santhi Kumari’s Andhra Pradesh counterpart Neerabh Kumar Prasad will lead the delegation on behalf of his State.
The meeting comes months after the two States had announced the constitution of Ministerial and official level committees to hold negotiations for finding solution to the bifurcation issues which are pending since more than a decade. The decision to constitute the committees was taken during a meeting of Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy with his AP counterpart N. Chandrababu Naidu on July 6.
Mr. Chandrababu Naidu took the initiative of meeting Mr. Revanth Reddy, his one time associate, with a view to end the deadlock between the two States. During their close to two-hour meeting, the two Chief Ministers resolved to expeditiously resolve the nagging differences between the two States by constituting Ministerial and official committees.
These committees were mandated to identify issues which needed immediate focus and those that could be settled through negotiations between the two States. The focus would be to deliberate on the issues that could be resolved at their respective level across the table.
The issues that could not be resolved at the official level can be escalated to the committee of Ministers from the two States. If some issues remain pending still, they would be referred to the Chief Ministers after the Ministerial panel finalises modalities for their meeting. The issue however did not see any movement ever since as the two State governments did not focus attention on the bifurcation issues due to other pressing issues facing them.
Reimbursement of salaries paid to A.P. native employees by Telangana power utilities, apportionment of debt of 15 externally aided projects between the two States, payment of interest on cash credit availed by the civil supplies corporations of the two States form part of the agenda. Proposal of A.P. to retain three buildings in Hyderabad, exchange of employees, division of labour cess, sending back 122 Telangana local non-gazetted employees and reimbursement of expenditure on common institutions are among other issues that figure in the agenda.
Telangana, according to senior officials, has resolved to insist on setting a time frame for resolution of the division of Schedule IX and X institutions, a vexatious issue that continues to evade a solution. The State has decided to follow the advice of the Union Home Ministry which asked both the States to find an amicable solution on division of the Schedule IX and X institutions.
The State has decided to take up the issue of constitution of a joint task force to check movement of drugs and narcotics between the two States, an initiative proposed by the Telangana Chief Minister. Another major issue to be flagged by Telangana will be the power dues payable to the State’s power utilities by the power utilities of the neighbouring State.
“These issues will form part of the agenda of the forthcoming meeting,” a senior official said expressing hope that the meeting will take some forward looking decisions.
Published – November 30, 2024 06:32 pm IST
