VIJAYAWADA : A public interest litigation (PIL) petition was filed in the Andhra Pradesh High Court, seeking directions to the Centre to continue Hyderabad as the common capital of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana States till 2034.
Podali Anil Kumar, secretary of Praja Samkshema Seva Sangham of Ibrahimpatnam, NTR district, filed the PIL. He urged the court to direct the Union Home Secretary to get the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 amended to extend Hyderabad as the common capital of both the States. As per the Act, Hyderabad is the common capital of both the States for 10 years, which will end on June 2, 2024.
In the PIL, he made Union Home Secretary, Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary, Special Chief Secretary (Revenue), Fiance Secretary and Secretary (GAD) as respondents. The issue pertaining to division of assets between the two sibling States is yet to be completed, hence, there is a need for the extension of the common capital, he contended.
The petitioner also stated that due to irrational methods adopted by the Union government in bifurcation of the State, Andhra Pradesh has remained without a capital even after a decade. Lack of cooperation, mutual trust, failure of the Centre in discharging its role in the entire process, have resulted in the pendency in division of assets, he said.
As per the Act, under Schedule IX, 91 companies and corporations need to be divided. Telangana has not agreed to recommendations of the expert committee with regard to 90 entities and the reason being the committee’s failure to follow uniform rules. Though empowered to resolve the issue, the failure of the Union government to address the issues that arose during division of assets had delayed the process, and further they got entangled in court case, he said.
Anil Kumar, in his petition, asserted that only with Hyderabad as the common capital, a solution for the division of assets can be found, hence, the Union government has the responsibility to continue Hyderabad as the common capital till 2034.
Division of assets yet to be completed: Petitioner
As per the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, under Schedule IX, 91 companies and corporations need to be divided. Telangana has not agreed to recommendations of the expert committee with regard to 90 entities and the reason being the committee’s failure to follow uniform rules, contended Podali Anil Kumar, secretary of Praja Samkshema Seva Sangham of Ibrahimpatnam, NTR district