Consensus eluded talks between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana on the issue of the operation of buses belonging to Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) in Telangana region.
Transport Ministers of the two Telugu-speaking States — K. Atchannaidu from Andhra Pradesh and P. Mahender Reddy of Telangana — held a joint meeting attended by the Transport Commissioners and the Managing Directors of the RTCs, in Vijayawada on Wednesday to thrash out a solution to some of the pending issues that surfaced post-bifurcation.
The meeting went about in an amicable way with both the Ministers reaching a consensus on four of the five main issues on the agenda.
The Ministers and officials were in complete unanimity on the issue of permits to transport vehicles and inter-State buses, addressing the problems confronted by lorry owners and private travel operators, relaxation of norms for operation of buses associated with educational institutions and industrial units in the border areas of the two states and transfer of employees whose spouses were working in the other State.
Consensus however eluded on the issue of distribution of RTC bus services between the two States.
Responding to Telangana’s demand that APSRTC reduce the number of its buses operating in that state, Mr. Atchannaidu pointed to the fact that AP had cut down its bus services in Telangana gradually. Currently, Andhra Pradesh operated only 720 buses in the Telangana region.
He said at the time of bifurcation, APSRTC buses travelled an area of 3.30 lakh km in Telangana State. But post-division of the State, it was gradually shrunk to 2.20 lakh km, while Telangana also cut down its operations in Andhra Pradesh to 1.25 lakh km area. He said since Telangana was vast geographically, it added to the number of kms covered by APSRTC buses.
He said the MDs of the two States will hold district-level talks following which a final meeting of the two Ministers would arrive at a final decision.
