Resolve disputes through talks, centre tells Telangana, Andhra Pradesh
Hyderabad: The Centre advised the warring Telangana and Andhra Pradesh governments to resolve their disputes through talks and by implementing the provisions of the AP Reorganisation Act 2014 in letter and spirit to avoid disputes in future.
The Union Home ministry convened a special meeting in New Delhi with the chief secretaries of both states on Thursday to sort out disputes on division of employees, sharing of power and water resources, powers to the Governor on law and order, fee reimbursement etc.
Though the Telangana government lodged a strong protest over giving powers to the Governor on law and order in the common capital of Hyderabad, the Home ministry ruled out any further discussions on this issue at this stage. Telangana CS, Dr Rajiv Sharma, and his AP counterpart, Mr I.Y.R. Krishna Rao, attended the meeting.
Representing the Centre, Union Home Secretary, Mr Anil Goswami, Additional Secretary, Mr Suresh Kumar, who is in-charge of state-Centre relations, and other senior officials from Power and Water Resources departments took part in the meeting.
Sources said that the Telangana government complained against the AP government over cancellation of Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) and other decisions in the power sector, which had led to severe shortage of power in Telangana.
The AP government, meanwhile, took up the nativity issue of fixing 1956 as the cut-off year for fee reimbursement, demolition of illegal buildings and taking back allotted lands in the city, targeting Seemandhra people etc.
The AP government is learnt to have urged the Centre to bring law and order, education, municipal administration etc. in the common capital area under the governor to protect the interests of Seemandhra people residing in Hyderabad.
However, Union Home ministry officials pointed out that all the disputes that have cropped up between the states was the result of violating the AP Reorganisation Act 2014 and taking decisions against the provisions incorporated in the Act.
They told both the CSs that the Act had a solution for every dispute but what was needed now was sincerity and commitment from both the governments over adopting the same. They urged both governments to initiate talks to resolve the disputes instead of complicating things further by making public statements against each other.
