Telangana to raise post-bifurcation issues in Southern Council meet

Hyderabad, April 25: Telangana will raise issues related to Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act in the Southern Zonal Council meeting to be held in Chennai on May 5.

The state government will also raise the issues of pending dues and clearances from the Centre.

Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari held a review meeting with officials on the issues to be taken up in the Inter-State Council/Southern Zonal Council.

She discussed and reviewed various issues in connection with AP Reorganization Act and other inter-state issues relating to irrigation, education, health, energy, industries, Singareni, panchayat raj, labour & employment and other departments.

The Chief Secretary directed the officials to submit information regarding the issues to be raised in the Southern Zonal Council meeting on pending dues, clearances, Schedule IXth and Schedule Xth of AP Reorganisation Act.

As the meetings convened by the Centre failed to address post-bifurcation issues, the government of Telangana decided to raise them in the Southern Zonal meeting.

Under the Reorganisation Act, all post-bifurcation issues have to be sorted out in 10 years.

During the meeting convened by the Centre in September last year, Andhra Pradesh demanded its share in land parcels, buildings and bank reserves of common institutions located in Hyderabad in the ratio of 52:48 between AP:TS, in proportion with their population.

The institutions listed under Schedule IX (corporations etc) and X (training institutes) of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014 are worth several thousands of crores of rupees. Telangana has opposed the demand.

Andhra Pradesh also demanded a share in Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL), evoking protest from Telangana.