HYDERABAD: With winds of change blowing in Andhra Pradesh, the Telangana government is all set to request the new leadership in the neighbouring State to vacate and hand over the Secretariat buildings under its control in Hyderabad. The Telangana government accepted AP Chief Minister-designate YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s first request — to send IPS officer Stephen Ravindra to Andhra Pradesh. Now, it is Telangana’s turn to seek a favour.
So far, a spirit of mutual accommodation was glaringly lacking, as former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao did not see eye to eye. The Telangana government may send Jagan a formal request for the buildings once he assumes charge as chief minister on Thursday.
After the bifurcation of the combined Andhra Pradesh, the Secretariat buildings were divided between the sibling States based on the population ratio, as the AP administration was initially run from Hyderabad. While most buildings allocated to AP are now lying idle, some Andhra Pradesh staff still work from L Block in the Secretariat.
“The buildings allotted to TS are not sufficient for us. They are congested. Once AP hands over their buildings, Telangana will use them,” official sources in the Secretariat told Express. The AP government was not paying property tax, power and water bills for their buildings in the Secretariat, Telangana officials complained.
Give-and-take policy?
“Telangana accepted the cadre deputation of a police officer who is close to Jagan. We expect AP to grant our request and hand over the buildings,” official sources in the Secretariat said