Centre tells TS not to dig past for AP Bhavan

The Union home ministry asked the governments of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to act in accordance with the AP Reorganisation Act, and not bring up historical facts regarding the sharing of assets of AP Bhavan.

Home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi held a meeting with the officials of the AP and Telangana governments on Thursday via video conference.

The meeting was attended by chief secretary S.P. Singh and principal secretary of the finance department K. Rama Krishna Rao on behalf of the Telangana government, and by chief secretary S.P. Tucker and principal secretary of State Reorganization L. Premachandra Reddy on behalf of the AP government.

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had written to the Union home ministry previously, briefing them on the history of AP Bhavan.

He stated that the AP government had no right over AP Bhavan, which historically belonged to Telangana State only. In view of this, the Union home secretary commented that “Telangana state was formed on the basis of the AP Reorganisation Act; and if the sharing of the assets of AP Bhavan were to be decided based on historical evidence, then history would have to be dug up on many other matters as well.”

Mr Singh told the Union home secretary that he would send his government’s response on the matter after discussion with the Chief Minister.

Mr Tucker, while maintaining that the assets of AP Bhavan should be shared between the two states as per the AP Reorganization Act, requested the home secretary to resolve the issue at the earliest.