Division of AP Bhavan to be discussed on May 25 meet

AP submitted two proposals, Telangana none

The Union Home Ministry appears to have focussed attention on resolving the ‘vexatious’ issue of division of Andhra Pradesh Bhavan, situated in the heart of New Delhi, between the two Telugu States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

The Dispute Resolution sub-committee constituted by the Union Ministry has convened a meeting of the officials of the two States on May 25 in this regard.

The meeting to be held via video conference has division of AP Bhavan as the first item on its agenda. The meeting comes in the light of the Union Government’s directions to constitute a high level committee comprising the secretaries of reorganisation affairs of both the State, engineers-in-chief of Roads and Buildings departments and resident commissioners for resolving the issue.

The MHA, during its virtual meeting with officials of the two States on January 12, wanted the committee to resolve the issue in a time-bound manner and submit its report within two months. The direction comes after Andhra Pradesh Government submitted two proposals for the division of the AP Bhavan and Telangana opposing these proposals.

According to the proposals submitted by the AP Government, it would get 11.32 acre land and Telangana would get 8.41 acre land if the property was divided in the ratio of 58:42 in line with the provisions of the AP Reorganisation Act 2014.

The 20-acre site with several buildings is valued at ₹7,110 crore and the share of AP’s land would be ₹4,146 crore while that of Telangana would be ₹2,963 crore, if divided in population ratio.

TS against division of AP Bhavan

The Telangana Government is however, opposing the division of AP Bhavan on the ground that the property was given in lieu of the Hyderabad House and belonged to Telangana as it was an asset of the erstwhile Nizam. The Centre is said to have clarified that the asset should be divided between the two States and wanted Telangana to come up with alternative proposals if it opposed the proposals submitted by AP.

Telangana, according to sources, is yet to submit any proposals in this direction and the committee constituted under the directions of the Home Ministry did not meet even once four months after it was constituted.

“A meeting was convened some time ago in Vijayawada, but could not take place,” an official told The Hindu, adding that efforts were being made to convene a meeting between the two States before May 25 so that differences on some issues could be ironed out.

The May 25 meeting also has division of Schedule IX institutions, division of Singareni Collieries Company Limited and its subsidiary AP Heavy Machinery Engineering Limited and apportionment of institutions not mentioned in the AP Reorganisation Act 2014 on its agenda.