Apart from new projects in AP, distribution of assets and liabilities is pending for 7 years
Andhra Pradesh is hopeful of getting a solution for the bifurcation issues pending for seven years at the January 12 meeting the Union Home Secretary has called with Chief Secretaries of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The pending deliberations started afresh after the meeting in in Tirupati last November at the Southern Zonal Conference presided over by Home Minister Amit Shah. Chief MinisterY.S.Jagan Mohan Reddy once again presented his case before Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his latest meeting in Delhi on January 3. Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla has convened the meeting with the Chief Secretariesthrough video conferencing in view of the Coronavirus pandemic to discuss on disputes regarding Schedule IX and X institutions as well as apportionment of Andhra Pradesh Bhavan in New Delhi between the two States among other pending issues.Though TDP Government headed by N.Chandrababu Naidu ruled the residual state of Andhra Pradesh after the bifurcation in 2014, bifurcation issues were never resolved despite TDP being part of the Modi Government for quite a while. Moreover, Naidu played a spectator’s role when the demand for Special Category Status (SCS) was raised. The Andhra CM also met his Telangana counterpart, K.Chandrasekhara Rao to discuss the pending inter-state issues. Reddy had extended a ‘friendly hand’ to Rao within days of becoming the Chief Minister by handing over all government buildings in Hyderabad including Secretariat and Legislative Assembly buildings to the Telangana state government. Chandrababu Naidu had refused to do that till 2019 even after shifting the AP administration to Amaravati in 2016. This is the first time after seven years since the bifurcation of united Andhra Pradesh into two states that the UnionGovernment is taking interest to find solutions to the pending issues. The Andhra CM submitted a detailed note to the PM that includes the chief issues. A key issue is the renewal of approvals of site clearances for the greenfield international airport at Bhogapuram that would help in development of Visakhapatnam and its surrounding areas. Another is setting up an Integrated Steel Plant in YSR Kadapa District. MECON, a Government of India undertaking, has not yet concluded the feasibility report.That needs to be expedited. The delay by the Telangana Government in releasing power dues to AP is another niggling issue. An amount of Rs 6,284 crore is receivable by Andhra Pradesh Generation Corporation Limited (APGENCO) from the Telangana State Distribution Utilities and Telangana. The DISCOMs have recognized the amount as payables but are yet to make the actual payment. At the Tirupati meeting, the Andhra CM had pointed out to the Centre: "There is a need for an action plan to resolve inter - state issues with specific timelines.”Referring to the challenges of Andhra Pradesh, he explained how the State had ‘lost significantly’ on account of its bifurcation. "The per capita income in Telangana after bifurcation in 2015-16 was ?15,454 while in Andhra Pradesh it was only at? 8,979. This shows how the State has lost due to the bifurcation.”Distribution of assets and liabilities of common institutions listed under Schedule IX, X of the bifurcation Act, mostly located in Hyderabad, are also pending with both states fighting cases in courts. There are 107 institutions listed under Schedule X, of which 97 are located in Telangana State, mostly in Hyderabad, it being the capital of undivided Andhra Pradesh. There are another 89 institutions listed under Schedule IX of the AP Reorganisation Act. Against this background the AP Government is hopeful that the Centre will find solutions to the major bifurcation issues that have been pending for all these years.
(The writer is Advisor, National Media and Inter State Affairs,Government of Andhra Pradesh. The views expressed are personal.)