एक दशक के बाद ठंडक: तेलंगाना, आंध्र के मुख्यमंत्रियों ने गले मिलकर शुरू की कठिन बातचीत

After a decade, a thaw: CMs of Telangana, Andhra begin hard negotiations with a hug

After nearly a decade, the Chief Ministers of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh convened in Hyderabad on Saturday to address and settle longstanding issues that have persisted since Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated in June 2014.

The meeting saw Telangana's Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and Andhra Pradesh's Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu gather at the Jyotirao Phule Praja Bhavan in Begumpet during the evening. Accompanying Reddy were his deputy Bhatti Vikramarka and senior ministers D Sridhar Babu and Ponnam Prabhakar. Naidu was joined by ministers K Durgesh, Satya Kumar Yadav, and B C Janardhan.

Both chief ministers were supported by their Chief Secretaries and other IAS officers who provided PowerPoint presentations outlining their demands and expectations from the other state.

According to sources from the Telangana Chief Minister's Office (CMO), the purpose of the meeting was to break the ice between the two states. Each side communicated their key discussion points and presented a roadmap for achieving them. They also addressed issues that require the central government's intervention, such as the division of water from the Godavari and Krishna rivers.

An official noted that the primary focus was on establishing a platform and channel for the governments to discuss issues without hostility. The official added, "This meeting is intended to initiate the process of long discussions and negotiations."

Reports indicate that the two chief ministers met like old friends, embracing each other before sitting down at the negotiating table. "Whether it is Telangana or Andhra Pradesh, any agreement by one state on an issue often leads to immediate criticism that the state's interests have been compromised. This is why former Andhra CM Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and former Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao could not advance their talks. Resolving issues like sharing assets, properties, and cash requires concessions, which can be perceived as a sellout by people and critics in both states," an official explained.

During Naidu's first term from 2014 to 2019, and KCR's tenure from 2014 to 2023, no meetings were held to resolve these issues, and the two leaders were considered hostile toward each other. When Jagan Mohan Reddy assumed power in 2019, KCR welcomed him, and several meetings took place between officials from both states. However, the deadlock persisted as neither side was willing to make concessions.

After Naidu's TDP-led NDA secured a landslide victory in the recent elections, Revanth, in a congratulatory phone call, extended a hand of friendship, emphasizing the need to resolve pending matters related to the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, in a cordial atmosphere. Naidu responded positively and suggested a meeting in Hyderabad on July 6 through a letter to Revanth dated July 2.

There are at least 14 unresolved issues between the two states, including clearing power dues that both states owe each other, the bifurcation of 91 institutions, and the division of cash balances and bank deposits. Effectively resolving the division of cash and assets would unlock essential funds needed by both states for their welfare schemes.

News Reference