Centre likely to take final call on Andhra-Telangana asset dispute

No outcome in today's meeting mediated by Home Ministry as the two states stick to guns

 

The much delayed meeting on the division of assets of the government institutes and entities listed in the 10th Schedule of Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2014 was held in Delhi on Monday.

While the meeting, mediated by the Union Home Ministry, has produced no immediate outcome with the two successor states sticking to their original positions, it has, however, paved the way for a final decision by the Centre as directed by the Supreme Court in a case related to this matter.

This meeting was held three months after the Telangana government had sought postponement of a previous meeting which was scheduled to be held in November, 2016.

"There was no outcome in today's meeting as the two states have stuck to their respective positions. The Centre has given enough indications that there would be further meeting of the committee, which means Government of India will now take a final decision on this matter"a senior government official who attended the Monday's meeting told Business Standard.

The Centre had constituted a committee on August 8, 2016 under the chairmanship of Jaideep Govind, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs to resolve the dispute over the division of 10th Schedule entities(other than the government undertakings) numbering about 147. Both the states had nominated their officials in the committee to represent their case.

The Andhra Pradesh government has been asking for a division of assets belonging to all those entities, including the training institutes, that had served both the regions of the undivided state, However, Telangana government was insisting that the division of assets has to be limited to the headquarter buildings(MD offices) of the government undertakings.

In fact the assets of the government undertakings such as APGenco and Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation(APIIC), which were listed in Schedule 9 of the state bifurcation Act were divided on the basis of location, and with the full consent of the two sides. The only concession the Telangana government was willing to make beyond the location principle was with regard to the headquarters of these undertakings, majority of which are in Hyderabad.

When the matter went to the Supreme Court, it had directed the Centre to resolve the issue if the successor states were unable to arrive at an agreement.. The Centre's committee came into existence based on these directions. Now the Centre has to announce its decision to end the tussle over the assets.