HYDERABAD: All but two buildings in Hyderabad, which were allotted to Andhra Pradesh after bifurcation of the erstwhile combined State, have now been handed over to Telangana. Governor ESL Narasimhan issued orders to this effect on Sunday, a day after Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and his Andhra Pradesh counterpart YS Jagan Mohan Reddy held discussions on the matter.
Of the two buildings that remain with the AP government, one will be for its police department, and the other will be for all its other departments. Thus, Telangana will get the Secretariat buildings and other buildings of HoDs.With this, the Telangana government’s “give-and-take” policy seems to have yielded its desired result. After Telangana obliged Jagan’s request for the inter-State deputation of an IPS officer, Andhra Pradesh now reciprocated by agreeing to hand over its buildings in Hyderabad.
Rao, on Sunday, called on the governor and handed over a copy of the Telangana Cabinet’s resolution, requesting for allotment of the Andhra Pradesh government’s buildings in Hyderabad. The Governor later issued orders accordingly and requested the Telangana government to waive all outstanding claims of property tax and public utility charges, charged on the AP government for possession/use of the buildings.
Rao expressed happiness over the allotment of buildings, saying, “As the Andhra Pradesh administration is being run from Amaravati, handing over the vacant buildings in Hyderabad to Telangana is a good decision.” He added that both States had good relations now and adopted a “give-and-take” policy.
Two Hyderabad buildings must be left for Andhra Pradesh govt: Governor
Governor ESL Narasimhan on Sunday issued orders allotting the Andhra Pradesh government’s buildings in Hyderabad to Telangana, as the allotment of buildings between the two States was entrusted to him by the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014.“Section 5 of the AP Reorganisation Act envisages a common capital of Hyderabad (GHMC area) for the two states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for a period not exceeding 10 years. Section 7 has provided for a common Governor for the two States of TS and AP for a period that the President determines. Section 8 casts a special responsibility on the Governor with respect of issues of law and order, safety and security of citizenry and vital installations as well as the management and allocation of government buildings in the common capital,” the governor said in the order.
“The government of Telangana has communicated their resolution No 11/2019 of the proceedings of the Council of Ministers, Government of Telangana dated June 2, 2019, approved in circulation. By virtue of powers vested in me under section of 8 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, I do hereby order that the contents of the resolution put in place by initiation necessary appropriate measures,” the order added, and instructed the Telangana government to set apart two buildings in Hyderabad, exclusively for the use of the Andhra Pradesh government.
Post bifurcation of the combined AP, the Governor allotted the Secretariat and HoDs’ buildings as per the population ratio of 52:48. However, after the AP Secretariat was shifted to Amaravati, the then AP government refused to hand them over to Telangana. The AP government neither used the buildings nor paid property tax.