Telugu CMs meeting: Revanth, Naidu agree on new committees to discuss bifurcation issues

Hyderabad: In the maiden meeting between the chief ministers of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh the officials have decided to constitute two committees to deliberate long-standing issues related to the bifurcation of undivided Andhra Pradesh. One committee would be appointed by the ministers and the other high-level committee with the officials.

Issues regarding pending bills and taxes discussed

Ministers Ponnam Prabhakar and D Sridhar Babu are likely to be part of the ministerial committee to be constituted by the Telangana government. Telangana came into existence on June 2, 2014, following the division of undivided Andhra Pradesh.

Disclosing the details of the meeting before the media at Praja Bhavan here, Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu said that discussions were held to sort out the bifurcation issues remained unresolved in the last decade.

"We didn't expect a immediate solution for the issues in the maiden between the Telangana and AP chief ministers and the officials. However, a decision was taken in the meeting to resolve the issues between Telangana and AP without disturbing the benefits. A committee of senior officials from both the states, three members from each state, would be formed and they will meet in two weeks. The committee will try to find solutions to various issues," Vikramarka said.

The deputy chief minister said that the committee of ministers from the two states would be formed to address issues that are not resolved by the panel of officials if any and the issues that still remain unresolved would be taken up at the Chief Ministers-level. The "preliminary" decision is to have committees of senior officials and ministers and then to organise meetings of CMs, he added.

Coordination committee to deal with drugs and cyber crime

Noting that the Telangana government has taken up a special drive against narcotics and cyber crime, Vikramarka said it was resolved to facilitate coordination between additional director general of police-level officers of the two states who are handling anti-narcotic operations. The CMs also decided that the two states should work together in fighting against the menace of drugs and cyber crime, he added.

During the course of the meeting which lasted for almost two hours, discussions relating to the division of various state-run institutions and corporations of the undivided state, listed in Schedule 9 and Schedule 10 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act (2014), between the two states, aspects related to Andhra Pradesh Finance Corporation, pending power bills, sharing of debts for 15 projects built in the undivided Andhra Pradesh with loans from abroad, distribution of labour cess, employees division and others aspect were discussed.

Andhra Pradesh Minister Anagani Satya Prasad said it was a day the Telugus would hail as an effort is made to address bifurcation issues respecting the sentiments of all.

The NDA government in Andhra Pradesh, led by Naidu, has appointed a cabinet sub-committee to curb the supply of narcotics.

Asked about demands in Telangana for Andhra Pradesh to return five villages which were transferred to the latter at the time of bifurcation, Vikramarka said the panels have been appointed to find the way forward on all issues.

Naidu requested properties in Hyderabad under AP’s name

Sources said that Naidu had requested Revanth Reddy to allocate a few properties in Hyderabad to Andhra Pradesh. However, Revanth reportedly denied Naidu’s plea and said that all the properties in Hyderabad belong to Telangana. On the merger of five villages-- Pichukalapadu, Kannaigudem, Yetapaka, Gundala and Purushothapatnam under the Bhadrachalam division into Telangana which were merged with Andhra Pradesh under AP Reorganisation (Amendment) Act in 2014. A decision was taken to write a letter to the Union Home Ministry in this regard.

Earlier, Nara Chandrababu Naidu was accorded a grand welcome by his Telangana counterpart Revanth Reddy at the government’s Mahatma Jyoti Rao Phule Praja Bhavan here on Saturday. Taking the initiative for the talks, Naidu wrote to Revanth Reddy last week, proposing a face-to-face meeting on July 6. In return, Revanth Reddy also welcomed Naidu’s proposal and invited him for a ‘tete-e-tete’ on Saturday. Revanth also hosted a dinner for Naidu and AP ministers at Praja Bhavan.

On the occasion, Revanth Reddy also presented a book titled 'Na Godava' authored by writer Kaloji Narayana Rao to Chandrababu Naidu.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary Neerabh Kumar Prasad and finance secretary Piyush Kumar, ministers A Satya Prasad, BC Janardhan Reddy and Kandula Durgesh and officials from various departments participated in the meeting along with Naidu.

From Telangana, chief secretary A Santhi Kumari, deputy chief minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu, ministers D Sridhar Babu, Ponnam Prabhakar and others participated in the meeting along with Revanth Reddy.