The division of assets and liabilities between the two Telugu States – Telangana and Andhra Pradesh – has no doubt picked pace in the recent past, but bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh Bhavan in New Delhi is likely to be delayed further.
Located in the heart of the national capital, the close to 20-acre site with several buildings has been valued at ₹7,110 crore as per the latest estimates.
According to the proposals put forth by the AP government, it would get 11.32 acre valued at ₹4,146.73 crore and Telangana will get 8.41 acre land estimated to cost ₹2,963 crore as its share if the property is divided in the ratio of 58:42 in line with the provisions of the AP Reorganisation Act 2014.
The Union Home Ministry, during its virtual meeting with the representatives of the two States on January 12, has decided to constitute a high-level committee at the request of Telangana government. Accordingly, a committee comprising the secretaries of reorganisation affairs, engineers-in-chief of Roads and Buildings departments and resident commissioners of both States was constituted to resolve the issue.
The MHA directed the two States to resolve the matter in a time-bound manner. It was also agreed at the meeting that the committee would submit its report within a period of two months.
Almost two-and-a-half months after the meeting convened by the MHA, the committee is yet to meet once, leave alone examining the matter closely and finalising a report for the approval of the Union Ministry. Senior officials said that the committee could not meet owing to the budget sessions of the legislatures in the two States and a meeting between the two States is being planned soon.
Officials are hopeful that the panel would meet soon to take up the issue as the MHA had speeded up the process for resolving the bilateral issues. The Union Ministry has clarified that the two States should try to resolve the issue by mutual agreement. The MHA has expressed its readiness to examine the report that is to be finalised by the two States as soon as it is submitted.
