Hyderabad: The Centre has convened a meeting of the governments of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in New Delhi on November 23 to resolve pending state bifurcation related issues. The Union home ministry sent out a communication to this effect to the chief secretaries of the two states on Tuesday.
The previous meeting on September 27 was inconclusive with both the governments remaining adamant on division of assets and bank reserves of common institutions listed under Schedule IX and X of AP Reorganisation Act, 2014 and mostly located in Hyderabad.
Union home secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla issued directions to MHA officials to examine all the court cases pending in courts in consultation with the Law Department. The MHA has listed 14 issues on the agenda for discussion on November 23, which figured even on the September 27 meeting agenda.
The AP government has demanded a share of the land parcels, buildings and bank reserves of common institutions located in Hyderabad, valued at crores of rupees, be divided in the ratio 52:48 between AP and TS in proportion to their population. The TS government has opposed it, stating that it owns the assets located within the new state.
The TRS government has voiced its resentment at the AP government frequently approaching court, posing legal challenges, and blocking the division of these institutions for the last eight years. It has demanded that the Centre take action to make AP withdraw the cases and facilitate the division of institutions amicably.
The AP government demanded share in 5,000 acres of Deccan Infrastructure Limited (DIL) lands and 238 acres of the AP State Finance Corporation (APSFC) in Ranga Reddy and city outskirts that were taken back by the Telangana government in 2015 on the ground that the lands were not utilised by DIL and APSFC.
AP demanded share in assets, buildings, and bank reserves of the AP Dairy Development Corporation, AP State Council of Higher Education, while the TS officials agreed to share only bank reserves of Schedule X institutions as per previous orders of the Centre which AP refused.
Additionally, AP wanted the division of the Telangana-based Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL) and its AP-based subsidiary, AP Heavy Machinery Engineering Ltd (APHMEL). Telangana vehemently maintained that since the Act contains an explicit provision transferring the 51 per cent of equity to Telangana entirely, the division of SSCL does not occur. Similarly, APHMEL is merely an SCCL subsidiary, and the only division which is to be done is that of equity of the then Andhra Pradesh.
The other issues that were discussed include cash credit amount due to the AP State Civil Supplies Corporation for the TS Civil Supplies Corporation, release of rice subsidy, bifurcation of 12 institutions that were not mentioned anywhere in the Act, division of cash and bank balance (funds under central sponsored schemes/expenditure incurred by TS government on common institutions located in Hyderabad after bifurcation of state and loans related to externally aided projects. It was agreed that both the states should take the help of CAG to settle the same.
The Telangana government also raised issues of delay in release of funds for the development of backward districts in Telangana, establishment of Tribal University, Rail Coach Factory, and the elimination of taxation anomalies.
