By: Iftikhar Gilani
Scores of political pundits had been recommending Hyderabad be made a joint capital of divided Andhra Pradesh and the newly carved state of Telangana referring the case of Chandigarh, which is a shared capital of Punjab and Haryana.
But the Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Tuesday put its foot down on the proposal, saying there was no comparison between the two.
The CWC recommended to make Hyderabad a joint capital of the newly-proposed state and the other regions–Rayalaseema and Coastal Andhra — for a period of 10 years.
Explaining Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh said, Chandigarh lies on the borders of both the states, while in case of Hyderabad there was no contiguity.
TRS leader KT Rama Rao had also said that it is impractical to keep Hyderabad as the capital of Andhra Pradesh as there would be no geographical connect after the creation of Telangana.
“The CWC clearing Telangana is a welcome the decision. We will wait for the Bill to be passed in Parliament. Hyderabad can be an interim capital,” said Rao.
Among cities now vying to become capital of Andhra Pradesh are Vijaywada, Kurnool, Tirupati and Vishakapatnam.
But the Central government may open its purse strings to allow Andhra Pradesh to develop entirely a new and modern capital at the place of its choosing.
Andhra leaders, who are angry at the central government decision for approving dividing Andhra Pradesh, a wholehearted support to build a modern city for its capital could assuage the hurt feelings, a senior Congress leaders here said after the CWC decision.
Statistically, Telangana is the largest of the three regions that comprise Andhra Pradesh, and it contributes to more than 60 per cent to the state’s revenue and is home to 40 per cent of its population.
Of the other regions, Coastal Andhra accounts for 14 per cent of the state’s earnings. Rayalaseema brings in just four per cent. Keeping in mind, the backward nature of Andhra Pradesh, the CWC in its resolution, recommended providing adequate funds for the development of these areas.
Courtesy: DNA