Telangana, Andhra Governor holds meeting on post-bifurcation issues

E.S.L. Narasimhan, who is joint Governor for Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, on Sunday held a meeting with ministers and officials of the two Telugu states to sort out pending issues arising from bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014.

The meeting discussed the issues related to division of employees and handing over of the buildings of Andhra Pradesh Secretariat in Hyderabad to Telangana. However, no decision was taken during the meeting.

Telangana government's Advisor G. Vivekanand told reporters after the meeting that they decided to hold another round of talks on April 17.

Andhra Pradesh's Labour Minister K. Atchan Naidu said they discussed division of teachers, police personnel and employees of electricity department but did not come to a conclusion.

On handing over the buildings of Andhra Pradesh Secretariat and legislature to Telangana, he said a decision in this regard would be taken after consultation with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

The Labour Minister said two senior officials of electricity department had submitted their reports on sharing of electricity and a decision was expected in the next meeting.

Andhra Pradesh was represented by Atchan Naidu, Finance Minister Y. Ramakrishnudu and Telugu Desam Party Chief Whip Kalva Srinivasulu, besides other senior officials.

Irrigation Minister Harish Rao, Energy Minister Jagdish Reddy, Advisor G. Vivek and other officials represented Telangana.

This was the third in a series of meetings the Governor was holding with the ministers and officials of the two states since last month, to sort out all post-bifurcation issues.

The two states had decided last month to sort out all issues with mutual agreement instead of fighting in courts.

The two states have had differences over various issues, including sharing of electricity and water and division of institutions listed in the 9th and 10th Schedules of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act and also the High Court here.

Several meetings held between the officials of the states over the past two-and-half years failed to sort out issues.

A group of employees from Telangana, who are discharging their duties from the Andhra Pradesh Secretariat in Amaravati, had submitted a memorandum on Saturday to Atchan Naidu that he should take initiative for sending them to the Telangana Secretariat.

In the representation, the employees mentioned that as many as 238 employees, having local status in Telangana, are working at the Andhra Pradesh Secretariat.

--IANS

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