Telangana, Andhra Pradesh stick to stated stand on split issues

Hyderabad: The Chief Ministers of the two Telugu states, K. Chandrasekhar Rao and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, are trying to resolve long-pending issues related to the AP Reorganisation Act. The governments of Telangana and AP have repeatedly said in the past that they will co-operate with each other in solving the issues arising out of bifurcation of the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh. But five years on, there has been no movement.

The issues include asset sharing of institutions listed in the 9th and 10th Schedule of the AP Reorganisation Act, sharing of Krishna and Godavari water, and power arrears dispute continuing because both states have stuck to their arguments. To resolve these issues, some compromise is necessary but neither state will adopt a give and take policy.

For example, the AP government wants the assets of AP Bhavan in Delhi to be shared in a ratio of 58:42. But the TS government says AP has no right to ask for a share in AP Bhavan since it was constructed in the time of the Nizams and not by the united AP.

The two CMs held discussions at Tadepally on Monday about pending issues between the states and decided to resolve them. But to do so on the AP Bhavan issue, one or the other will have to back down.

Regarding sharing of assets relating to the institutions listed in the 9th schedule of the AP Reorganisation Act, the AP government argues that it has 52 per cent share in the assets of these institutions. The Telangana government says that the sharing of assets is not applicable to the institutions located at headquarters (the capital). According to government estimates, the institutions listed in the 9th schedule have assets worth `1,40,898 crore.

In this the cost of the buildings itself is `68,173 crore. Institutions listed in the 10th schedule have assets worth `38,710 crore. If TS sticks to its stand and AP accepts it, AP will lose crores of rupees. The Telangana government will have to change its stand if this issue is to be resolved.

The new government in AP has been more amenable than the Naidu regime in the matter of handing over the secretariat buildings to Telangana. The AP government reasoned that it is not using the secretariat buildings, and after 10 years the buildings must be handed over to the Telangana government anyway. By handing over the secretariat buildings now, AP saves power and other charges which are paid to the Telangana government. Moreover, TS has waived the pending arrears.

When it comes to sharing the assets of 9th schedule institutions, about `8,000 crore is parked in various banks since the last five years and both states are not able to spend these funds. To settle the issue, the Centre has appointed committees and Gover-nor E.S.L. Narasimhan has intervened to resolve the issue, but all efforts have been in vain.

Sharing of waters is another contentious issue. On the directions of the Governor, irrigation officials of both governments are to meet on June 24.

The Telangana government’s argument is that AP is diverting water from the Godavari river to the Krishna river through the Pattiseema project, and AP has to give some share of the Krishna water to TS. AP argues that it is diverting Godavari water to the Krishna because otherwise the water would flow into the sea.