Central panel to divide assets between Telangana & AP

If two States do not decide on sharing of assets within two weeks, Home Ministry panel to divide the assets

​New Delhi: Fed up with the 'dogmatic stand' of the State Governments of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana over sharing of the assets of the united Andhra Pradesh post bifurcation, the Union Home Ministry has decided to constitute a committee to overlook the same shortly.

Highly-placed Home Ministry officials disclosed here on Tuesday that it is inevitable that the issue of Schedule 9 and Schedule 10 of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014 be referred to the committee as "both the parties are reluctant to reasonably negotiate over the issue".

The Ministry has been inviting the officials of both the State Governments to evolve a consensus over the issue in the last two years. The attention of the Ministry has turned towards the issue of vigorous 'property sharing' between the two after the bifurcation of employees.

However, despite the persuasive methods of the Home Ministry little reason prevailed on both and little agreement arrived at.

Sources disclose that the two governments' have been already hinted at the formation of a committee, in case no compromise is arrived at in a couple of weeks. In fact, the meeting last week on Schedule 10 (particularly, regarding the properties of Andhra Pradesh State Higher Education Council) remained inconclusive with the Telangana Government seeking more time to come up with its opinion.

The AP Government officials were insisting on sharing the properties in a 58:42 ratio based on population while citing the SC directive in the said case of APSHEC.

Even Tuesday's meeting convened by Joint Secretary of Dileep Kumar on the sharing of Schedule 9 properties remained inconclusive with the AP officials insisting on 58:42 ratio in sharing the assets of the AP Dairy Development Corporation.

"We may convene a couple of meetings more to elicit their opinion. However, we don't expect to see a positive outcome. Territorial claims could be dealt with easily but a matter of assets is really dicey when one insists on a blanket approach for everything.

A certain give and take is necessary. This is not possible unless both the Chief Ministers' sit together and thrash out the differences. Officials would only represent the line given to them," sources explain.

It is not that the Home Ministry has not been explicit about it. They had suggested the same to both the claimants but "the seriousness required seems to be lacking".

The Schedule 9 of the Act refers to 89 corporations and federations existing in the united AP and the next Schedule lists 107 Centres and Training Centres.

The Act itself says that "....the assets and liabilities of–– (a) the operational units of the undertaking shall be apportioned between the two successor States on location basis; and (b) the headquarters of such undertaking shall be apportioned between the two successor States on the basis of population ratio. (2) Upon apportionment of the assets and liabilities, such assets and liabilities shall be transferred in physical form on mutual agreement or by making payment or adjustment through any other mode as may be agreed to by the successor State."

The Home Ministry might sit through the meetings a couple of times more and wait for reason to prevail "but it cannot be a too long a process. It would be better to undertake the exercise on our own through a committee. We are already contemplating the move, hence, without wasting time".