Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and his Telangana counterpart A. Revanth Reddy during a meeting in Hyderabad on July 6, 2024 to resolve differences between two States. Photo: X/@revanth_anumula
In what could be called the first concrete step for resolution of the pending issues, arising out of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2014, between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, the Chief Ministers of the two States — A. Revanth Reddy and N. Chandrababu Naidu — have resolved to constitute two committees — one of Ministers and the other of officials — for evolving a roadmap for their resolution.
The close to two-hour-long meeting of the two Chief Ministers took a decision to this effect for expeditiously resolving the nagging differences between the two States amicably. Accordingly, the committee of ministers and the committee of officials will have representation from the two States for identifying issues which needed immediate focus and those that could be settled through negotiations between the two States.
The composition of the committees will be finalised after the two States exchange information about the Ministers and officials they propose to depute for taking up the issues on behalf of the respective States. Once notified, the panels will hold discussions department-wise to identify issues that could be resolved across the table at the respective governments level and the ones that could take longer.
“The committee of senior officials of the rank of Chief Secretary and similar positions will be announced soon. The committee comprising senior officials of the two States will meet within two weeks,” Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said later. The officials committee would deliberate on the issues that could be resolved at their level across the table.
The issues that could not be resolved at the official level would then be forward to the committee comprising select ministers from the two States for finding a solution to the pending issues. “If there are some issues remaining after the Ministerial committee finalises modalities, they will be referred to the Chief Ministers of the two States,” he said. The two Chief Ministers had agreed to meet again so that the pending issues were resolved at the earliest and to maintain cordial atmosphere between the two States so that they both prospered.
Mr. Bhatti Vikramarka recalled how the important issues pertaining to the welfare of the people of the two States remained unresolved for 10 years, without naming the BRS government which was at the helm of the affairs during the period.
He said the issues that could not be decided at the official level would be referred to the Ministerial committee and the Chief Ministers of the two States were not averse to convene meetings to resolve the issues that remained unresolved at the Ministers’ level. “We have not anticipated an on the spot resolution of issues with the meeting. The meeting has laid the road map for the steps that should be taken by the two States going forward,” he said.
On the expected lines, the two Chief Ministers are understood to have confined to bifurcation issues without giving scope for any deviation. They reportedly sought information about the status of the pending issues and resolved to constitute the two panels. The discussion primarily focussed on the apportionment of assets and liabilities of different institutions listed under Schedule IX and X as also those that did not find mention in the Reorganisation Act.
The meeting organised after the initiative taken by Mr. Chandrababu Naidu to find solution to the long pending disputes between the two States in relation to the Reorganisation Act went off in a cordial atmosphere. Mr. Revanth Reddy, accompanied by his Cabinet colleagues Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, D. Sridhar Babu and Ponnam Prabhakar, Chief Secretary A. Santhi Kumari and others accorded warm reception to his A.P. counterpart as the latter arrived at th Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Praja Bhavan at 6 p.m. as scheduled. After exchanging pleasantries like presentation of bouquets, the Telangana Chief Minister accompanied by Ministers took Mr. Naidu to the conference hall where the meeting was held.
