TS, AP to thrash out bifurcation issues today

Hyderabad: Top officials from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh will attend a crucial meeting convened by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs in New Delhi on Tuesday to discuss unresolved issues between the two states as per Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act.

The chief secretaries of both the Telugu states are likely to attend the meeting along with some other key officials to discuss the pending issues after bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014.

As many as 14 pending issues were reportedly listed in the agenda. Of them, seven were related to the inter-state issues between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The remaining issues include financial assistance to the Andhra Pradesh capital city, grants to the backward regions development and other assurances given under the AP Reorganisation Act.

Issues related to the division of the institutions listed in the Schedule IX and X of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2014 are likely to figure in the meeting to be chaired by the Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla.

The meeting would also discuss dividing institutions not mentioned in the Act, division of Andhra Pradesh State Finance Corporation, Singareni Collieries and AP Heavy Machinery Engineering Limited, division of cash and bank balance between the two states and the dues being claimed by both the states on civil supplies corporations.

Pending promises made under the AP Reorganisation Act mainly the establishment of the Bayyaram steel plant, Kazipet railway coach factory, Tribal university and other pending issues will also come for discussion in the meeting to be attended by Telangana State Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar and other top officials from Telangana.

The Central government recently wrote to the Telangana government to clear electricity dues of Rs 6,000 crore to Andhra Pradesh before the end of September. Telangana claims that it is Andhra Pradesh which owes it Rs 17,000 crore. Officials from Telangana are expected to raise the issue of getting pending power dues. They are also likely to bring to the notice of the Home Secretary about the inordinate delay in getting clearances pertaining to irrigation projects in Telangana from the Central government.