Hyderabad: The Telangana government is not averse to an amicable settlement with Andhra Pradesh with regard to the disputed Andhra Pradesh Bhavan in New Delhi.
According to the AP Reorganisation Act, the AP Bhavan and its land have to be split in the ratio of 58:42 between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana State.
The Telangana government wanted the Centre to transfer the entire 19 acres of AP Bhavan to it, since the estate originally belonged to the erstwhile Nizam-ruled state of Hyderabad.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had written to the Union home minister that TS was willing to pay compensation to AP in exchange for possession of the entire property.
But now, Telangana Rashtra Samithi MP B Vinod Kumar has told Deccan Chronicle that there is no need to fight over Andhra Pradesh Bhavan as “an amicable solution can be worked out, though we had put in a claim over the entire property.”
He said that out of about 19 acres, Telangana will get eight acres if divided as per the AP Reorganisation Act. “We can construct a new building, or ask AP to construct a new building. The issue will be sorted out soon. There is no need for a quarrel on the issue,” he said.
After bifurcation of the state, AP Bhavan was split, block by block, room by room, and floor by floor. The staff was also divided according to the ratio set.
Of the 72 rooms in the Godavari block, 64 have been bifurcated. Another hangover of bifurcation surfaced in a request made by Mr Vinod Kumar to Union minister of state for finance Santosh Kumar Gangawar, that the Andhra Pradesh Grameena Vikas Bank should be renamed Telangana Grameema Bank. “Telangana should have one grameena bank,” the MP told the minister.
