Hyd to have UT-like status for 10 years

Move aimed at mollifying Seemandhra people

Certain key subjects like land, revenue, urban development, education, and law and order may be under Centre’s control

• Working out formula as Hyd becomes bone of contention
• Centre may take over administration of GHMC jurisdiction
• Hyderabad Police Commissionerate to cover GHMC area
• Cyberabad commissionerate likely to be merged with it
• Hyd to be joint capital for 10 years and later to be with T

Hyderabad: The Congress high command and the Central government are learnt to be working out an acceptable formula in regard to the status of Hyderabad which has been the bone of contention of both regions since the bifurcation decision is announced by the Congress Working Committee.

According to reliable information available with the HMTV and The Hans India, the Congress leadership is considering bringing certain key administrative subjects like land, revenue, urban development, education and law and order under the control of Centre.

This means that the administration of Hyderabad will be on the lines of a Union Territory (UT), though officially it will not be called as one. At the same time, there will be no change in Hyderabad being an integral part of Telangana State. It will be the capital of Telangana after it ceases to be a joint capital. The CWC also had decided that Hyderabad would be the joint capital for a period of 10 years and thereafter it would be the full-fledged capital of Telangana state. The other proposals that could be part of the draft Telangana note, according to highly placed sources, are that GHMC limits will be under the control of the Union government. The jurisdiction of Police Commissionerate of Hyderabad will be extended to cover the entire GHMC area.

At present, the Police Commissionerate of Hyderabad is divided into Hyderabad and Cyberabad. The possibility of merging them into one is also not being ruled out. The high command is also said to be mulling over appointing a politician as the Governor for better coordination with the two governments as both would be functioning from Hyderabad. All these issues are likely to be included in the Cabinet Note that would be presented before the Union Cabinet soon.

Sources indicate that the high command would soon take the leaders of T region into confidence and see that they agree with this proposal. Sources said that AICC is already in touch with the TRS and the BJP leaders constantly in its efforts to see that the present situation of uncertainty ends in the state. This, the high command feels will help them in getting the T bill passed once it is introduced in Parliament. The Centre is also trying to identify the potential cities where the new capital of Andhra Pradesh could be developed so that the feelings of Seemandhra people who have been agitating for two months can be assuaged.

Hyd to remain with Telangana

• Centre to abide by CWC decision
• All parties opposed to UT status for Hyd
• No takers for Rayala Telangana idea
• It’s up to Kiran to quit: AICC spokesperson

Anita Saluja

New Delhi: Unlike the Ordinance on convicted lawmakers, the Congress is in no mood to dump the CWC resolution on the creation of Telangana. According to reliable sources, the UPA government will abide by the CWC resolution which stated that Hyderabad should form part of Telangana and it will not go back on its decision as demanded by the protagonists of Seemandhra.

It is learnt that the feedback taken by the Antony Committee after numerous rounds it had with various stakeholders on the issue of the separate state of Telangana will be reflected in the Cabinet note that is being prepared by the Home Ministry.

According to a member of Antony Committee, “Both the regions stuck to their demands. While Telangana MPs wanted Hyderabad, the Seemandhra MPs were rigid on their stand of asking for united Andhra Pradesh.”

After interacting with the Telangana and the Seemandhra leaders, the Antony Committee has come to the conclusion that Hyderabad should go to Telangana. All the leaders from both the regions were opposed to Hyderabad being given the status of Union Territory. While the Telangana leaders stated that they had struggled for decades not for making Hyderabad a Union Territory, the Seemandhra leaders, on the other hand, are opposed to the idea tooth and nail.

In fact, sources stated that all the political parties including the YSRCP, TDP, MIM and the Congress are against giving Hyderabad the status of Union Territory. All of them have a stake in Greater Hyderabad and will lose their membership, which sends 24 MLAs to the Assembly.

Similarly, there were no takers for the formation of Rayala Telangana, the idea which was floated by some of the Congress leaders of Seema region before the CWC resolution. The Congress leadership was earlier thinking of incorporating two districts of Anantapur and Kurnool in Telangana, but the suggestion is being completely opposed by the people in the other two districts of Chittoor and Kadapa as well as some leaders and sections of people of Anantapur and Kurnool.

Senior leaders confided that the Congress High Command is in favour of going ahead with the CWC resolution though the Antony Committee members are yet to sit with Congress president Sonia Gandhi on the issue and submit a report. Due to the indisposition of Defence Minister, the Committee is yet to meet formally to give final shape to the report.

The Congress, which wants to reap political dividends out of the creation of Telangana, feels that the sooner the formation the better. It is only from this new region that the Congress has some expectations as compared to the Seemandhra region, where YSRCP and TDP dominate. If Hyderabad is left out of Telangana and made a Union Territory, they may draw a blank in all the three regions including Telangana.

AICC spokesperson Sandeep Dikshit stated on Monday that since Antony, who heads the panel, is also part of the Cabinet, his views will be incorporated in the Cabinet Note that is being drafted by the Home Ministry. He pooh-poohed the reported threats made by Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy of putting in his papers, saying that the decision to divide the state has already been taken and it is up to him to take a call.