It’s time to break the stalemate

The Andhra Pradesh government has reportedly sought to keep possession of Hermitage Building Complex (in picture), Lake View Guest House, and a building of the CB-CID until the disputes between the two States are settled. File 
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

Hyderabad will cease to be the common capital of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh on June 2; it will remain the capital of Telangana alone. Even as there is still no clarity in Andhra Pradesh on the issue of a capital, as an earlier piece in this column had stated, Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has directed officials to take over buildings in Hyderabad which have been in Andhra Pradesh’s possession since bifurcation. There are more than 50 such properties, including the Lake View Guest House. A majority of these are prime properties located in areas which are under the control of Andhra Pradesh at present.

As most of the elected representatives of Andhra Pradesh have permanent houses in Hyderabad, the government has reportedly sought to keep possession of Hermitage Building Complex, Lake View Guest House, and a building of the CB-CID until the disputes between the two States are settled. This would mean that Andhra Pradesh will have to pay Telangana hefty rents if the latter agrees to its requests.

Also read: CM focusses on resolution of pending bifurcation issues with A.P.

But the question is, when will the two States arrive at a consensus on long-pending issues such as apportionment of assets and liabilities pertaining to Schedule IX and X institutions (public sector corporations and entities owned by the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh government)? There has been a stalemate because the two States have interpreted the Act to suit their own interests. This has given scope for each of them to accuse the other of adopting a unilateral stand on key issues.

Within two years of the formation of Telangana, issues relating to employees were resolved. But cases on many other issues, including the division of assets of Schedule IX and X institutions, debts, and staff, have been pending in the courts for a long time. With the two States unable to reach a consensus, the intervention of the Union Home Ministry has been sought several times. The Ministry intervened to clarify, for instance, the definition of location-based assets and to give speaking orders on some issues, but did not suggest any measures for the amicable resolution of pending issues. It clarified that the two States should try to resolve the pending issues themselves, through mutual agreement. This has happened in many cases: the Andhra Pradesh government handed over of the Secretariat building to Telangana and the States reached a consensus over the apportionment of assets pertaining to the Andhra Pradesh Bhavan located in New Delhi.

Also read: A.P. Bhavan properties apportionment between Telangana, A.P. rekindles hopes for amicable resolution of bifurcation issues

But the problem doesn’t lie with the two States alone; the Central government too has not fulfilled many of its assurances. These include the creation of new institutions such as the integrated steel factory in Bayyaram in Khammam district, an Indian Institute of Management, and an Information Technology Investment Region, as well as financial assistance for Telangana’s development as mandated by the Act. After several representations, a Central Tribal University was granted to Andhra Pradesh in 2019 and Telangana last year as part of assurances given in the Reorganisation Act.

Section 93 of the Reorganisation Act clearly mandates that the Union government should take measures enumerated in Schedule XIII for the progress and sustainable development of the successor States within 10 years, but the Centre had not fulfilled these. Senior officials dealing with State Reorganisation affairs say that this reflects the Centre’s indifferent attitude.

During his visit to New Delhi in January, Mr. Reddy requested the Centre to ensure that the Andhra Pradesh government makes payments for utilising assets belonging to Telangana, along with interest. He also requested the Home Ministry to focus on the institutions which were not mentioned in the Reorganisation Act but which were nevertheless claimed by the Andhra Pradesh government “in violation of the provisions of the Act.”

More than 30 meetings of the dispute resolution committee comprising members from the Home Ministry and representatives from the two States have failed to yield results so far. While the two States reached consensus on some issues, they stuck to their respective stands in several others resulting in a stalemate. A decade has passed since bifurcation. It is time for the Central government to intervene and suggest a road map for resolving the pending issues on which the two States have been at loggerheads.