AP, T'gana CMs decide to form panels of officials, ministers to address bifurcation issues

Hyderabad, Jul 6 (PTI) A meeting of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and his Telangana counterpart A Revanth Reddy on Saturday decided to constitute committees of ministers and officials to address pending issues related to bifurcation of undivided Andhra in 2014.

The meeting also decided that the two states should work together in fighting against the menace of drugs and cyber crime, Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka told reporters after the meeting concluded.

Ministers and officials of the two states were also present in the meeting.

"A committee of senior officials from both the states, three members from each state, would be formed and they will meet in two weeks. The committee will try to find solutions to various issues," Vikramarka said.

The committee of ministers from the two states would be formed to address issues that are not resolved by the panel of officials if any, he said.

The issues that still remain unresolved would be taken up at the Chief Ministers-level.

The "preliminary" decision is to have committees of senior officials and ministers and then to organise meetings of CMs, he added.

Noting that the Telangana government has taken up a special drive against narcotics and cyber crime, he said it was resolved to facilitate coordination between additional director general of police-level officers of the two states who are handling anti-narcotic operations.

Andhra Pradesh Minister Anagani Satya Prasad said it was a day the Telugus would hail as an effort is made to address bifurcation issues respecting the sentiments of all.

The NDA government in Andhra Pradesh, led by Naidu, has appointed a cabinet sub-committee to curb the supply of narcotics.

Asked about demands in Telangana for Andhra Pradesh to return five villages which were transferred to the latter at the time of bifurcation, Vikramarka said the panels have been appointed to find the way forward on all issues.

Naidu was accorded a grand welcome by Revanth Reddy and his cabinet colleagues when he arrived at the Mahatma Jyoti Rao Phule Praja Bhavan here Saturday evening.

Telangana came into existence on June 2, 2014, following the division of undivided Andhra Pradesh.

Ten years after separation, several issues such as bifurcation of assets, state-run institutions, power bills dues, transfer of leftover employees to their native states are still unresolved between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

According to official sources, the division of various state-run institutions and corporations of the undivided state, listed in Schedule 9 and Schedule 10 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act (2014), between the two states, has not been completed as there was no consensus over several issues.

Taking the initiative for the talks, Naidu had written to the Telangana CM last week, proposing a face-to-face meeting on July 6 to address unresolved bifurcation issues.

Revanth Reddy, who welcomed Naidu's proposal, invited him for a 'tete-e-tete' today. PTI SJR GDK SJR ROH