Sorting out differences? All eyes on KCR-Chandrababu Naidu meet

Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan, who is the Governor for two new states, took the initiative to bring the warring Chief Ministers at Raj Bhavan and discuss the disputed issues.

The meeting of two CMs is out to ease tensions in both the states, especially in Hyderabad.

“It is confirmed. The meeting between to CMs will begin around noon on Sunday,” a CMO spokesman said. Raj Bhavan sources too confirmed the meeting.

Besides the Chief Ministers, chief secretaries of Telangana Dr Rajiv Sharma and Andhra Pradesh I.Y.R. Krishna Rao, senior officials of the various departments will also participate. CMs of both the states met for the first time at the airport to welcome President Pranab Mukherjee.

Mr Rao skipped the Iftar party hosted by Governor which was attended by Mr Naidu.

Both the CMs again shared a common dais at the ‘At Home’, hosted by the Governor at Raj Bhavan on Friday, where Mr Narasimhan cajoled and brought rapprochement between the two CMs after the function and asked them to sit across the table and sort out issues. Both are supposed to have agreed, it is learnt.

The CMs of both the new states are at loggerheads and involved in verbal tussle over free reimbursement to poor students, period for nativity, sharing of electricity, distribution of employees, buildings, sharing of government institutions, demolition of illegal structures in Hyderabad, merger of seven mandals in Khammam district under Polavaram project with Andhra Pradesh, AP government seeking Governor rule over Hyderabad among others.

Telangana government’s Intensive Household Survey too kicked up a row with Andhra Pradesh ministers opposing the same, accusing Telangana government of trying to identify and alienate Seemandhra people from government benefits.

But Mr Rao dismissed all allegations saying the survey was purely a socio-economic survey to ensure correct data of persons and families for implementation of government schemes.

Mr Rao is also firm on reimbursing fee only to Telangana students and asked the AP government to bear expenses of their students. For this purpose, he has also planned to take 1956 as a cut-off date for nativity, which again kicked up a furore in AP as well as Seemandhra people Telangana.

The recent taking over of ANGRAU and naming it after Prof Jayashankar, taking over of National Institute of Tourism and Hospital and renaming of other institutions and constant threat to statues has also led to strong objections from the AP government, but the Telangana government ignored it.

There have been disputes between the two states on several issues in the AP Reorganisation Bill including Hyderabad as common capital for 10 years, Governor control of law and order over Hyderabad among others.