TS to make strong pitch for fulfilment of ‘bifurcation promises’

State to present its case during Parliamentary panel meet

The Telangana government has decided to make a strong pitch for fulfilment of the assurances given by the Central government in Parliament during bifurcation of the erstwhile united State.

The State has decided to effectively present its case relating to more than 20 issues covered under different sections of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014 during the meeting convened by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs on August 10.

A day after the standing committee headed by former Union Minister P. Chidambaram communicated its decision to hear views of Telangana officials on the “status of implementation of the provisions of the Reorganisation Act”, the Rajya Sabha secretariat had sent an official intimation to the State on the details of the meeting.

In the communication addressed to Chief Secretary S.K. Joshi, Rajya Sabha secretariat director Vimal Kumar asked the government to furnish a detailed background note along with the soft copy on the issues it would propose to raise during the meeting by August 6 so that the same could be communicated to the members of the standing panel.

Though a final decision on the officials who would be nominated for the meeting is yet to be taken, sources said government’s Chief Adviser Rajiv Sharma and Finance and State Reorganisation Affairs secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao were likely to attend the meeting.

With less than a week left for submission of the background notes, senior officials embarked upon preparation of detailed notes relating to seven submerged mandals, enhancement of Assembly seats from 119 to 153, bifurcation of High Court, apportioning of assets and liabilities between the two residuary States and tax arrears to Telangana. Allocation of properties of AP Bhavan as well as Secretariat/HoDs/government quarters, apportioning of pension liabilities, road transport permits, issues relating to river management boards, allocation and utilisation of water resources and impact of Polavaram project and submergence in Telangana are among the other issues that would be raised during the meeting.

The State representatives are also likely to make fervent appeal for fulfilment of promises made relating to infrastructure and special economic measures, tax incentives to promote industries in backward areas and amendments to Article 371-D paving way for declaration of the local cadres.