By: A Radhakrishna
Dropping the idea of suggesting setting up of a security board to oversee law and order in Hyderabad for the period during which the city will serve as a joint capital for Telangana and Seemandhra states, the TRS told the Group of Ministers (GoM) in no uncertain terms on Sunday that the total control over the administration of Hyderabad, including law and order, should be vested only with the Telangana government.
“The overall policing of Telangana, including Hyderabad, must remain with the new state,” the pink party told the GoM in its memorandum sent to the Union home ministry.
The TRS leadership felt that a period of two years was enough for allowing the government of residuary state of AP to function from Hyderabad. “The location of the capital for the residuary state of AP should be decided expeditiously. The entire capital complex can be made ready for occupation within two years,” party president K Chandrasekhar Rao told the GoM.
Apart from requesting the GoM to recommend to the Centre to give a huge financial package for the Telangana state, the party also advocated formation of Legislative Council even in the new state after bifurcation.
The following is the TRS response to the terms of reference:
BOUNDARIES: TRS firmly supports formation of Telangana state with 10 districts with Hyderabad as its permanent capital. The existing 119 Assembly constituencies, along with one representing Anglo-Indian community, would make the House 120-MLA strong. This is the minimum requirement for constituting a legislative council. The new state would surely require the guidance of elders. Hence, this critical strength of 120 Assembly constituencies just cannot be tinkered.
HYDERABAD: Residuary state of AP can function from a set of decent and spacious outfits located in close proximity within the city of Hyderabad. The Telangana state, with Hyderabad as its permanent capital, will continue to function from existing outfits.
NEW CAPITAL: The location of the capital for residuary state of AP should be decided expeditiously. Core functionaries in the Secretariat, a few heads of departments (HODs) and legislature can be shifted immediately. The entire capital complex can be made ready for occupation, well within two years. It would be convenient for the five crore people to have their Government functioning, from their midst.
BACKWARD AREAS: As backwardness of Telangana is a reality, the party demands that one major irrigation project in the Godavari and another in the Krishna basin should be taken up at the national level. Railway lines, sanctioned in the past, must be completed expeditiously. An Indian Institute of Management, Indian Institute of Medical Science and a National Tribal University to be set up. The Planning Commission identified eight Telangana districts as eligible for funding under the Background Region Grant Fund (BRGF). Adequate funding to these districts must continue for at least one more decade.
LAW & ORDER: There has been no case of attack by Telangana people on Seemandhras. None need be apprehended in future. All along, the law and order has been well maintained in AP., particularly in Telangana. Left-wing extremism, communal disturbances have been tackled and controlled successfully. The entire law and order subject can be safely dealt with by the new state of Telangana. While creating 28 states, the Centre did not take over any part of the administration, directly or indirectly on the ground of safety and security. Creation of Telangana, as the 29th State should be treated, at par now.
JUDICIARY: It is imperative to have independent High Courts for each successor state immediately. It would also be just to have a separate bar council for the new Telangana state. Provisions facilitating this must be included in the bill.
RIVER WATER: The TRS accepts Bachawat Commission’s awards on Telangana’s share of Krishna and Godavari waters. The party also insists to use its full and legitimate share, without any compromise, in the immediate future. However, the final award of Brijesh Kumar Tribunal be held in abeyance till the state of Telangana makes its own submission.
COAL: Singareni coal mining company be kept under the direct control of Telangana government.
GAS & OIL: Krishna-Godavari basin, off the Bay of Bengal, is hydrocarbon-rich. A fair share in hydrocarbons for Telangana will help it bridge its yawning historic energy gap.
POWER: In view of the huge gap between supply of and demand for power, the TRS demands establishment of a dedicated 4000 MW Ultra Mega Power Plant by the NTPC in Telangana state with domestic coal linkage.
ASSETS: The assets of state undertakings may be distributed based on their location and the areas of operation in the respective states. Outstanding public debt and government guarantees should be divided based on project specific details. As ownership of projects would transfer to the respective state territories, the outstanding debt raised or guarantee offered should also migrate accordingly.
EMPLOYEES: Telangana employees have suffered gross injustice at the hands of AP government. Many non-locals, who were recruited against quota of 20 pc (district category), 30 pc (non-gazetted category) and 40 pc (gazetted category) have to be repatriated based on the definition of ‘local candidate’ as defined in the Presidential Order 1975, and on the basis of nativity as reflected in the service registers. As on today, there are 4,03,002 government employees (other than in state-level government corporations) who are drawing salaries through the district treasuries of Telangana, amounting to Rs 11,451 crore per annum. In view of this huge financial implication, the new state of Telangana would like to critically go into the distribution of employees to reduce its financial burden.
ALL-INDIA CADRE: The TRS demands that the Union government may consider relaxing the relevant rules of the all-India services cadre allocation and to allow Telangana officers of IAS, IPS and IFS working elsewhere in the country to come and work in Telangana state at their request.
GAZETTED OFFICERS: All gazetted officers, who are wrongly recruited and promoted in violation of various safeguards provided to Telangana employees have to be relocated to the residuary state of Andhra.
PENSIONERS: The burden of paying the pensioners in the category of All India Services, who retired in Hyderabad and drawing pension from the Hyderabad treasury, has to be shared by both the state governments.
As on March 31, 2013, there are 2.34 lakh pensioners who are drawing their pension through the ten Telangana district treasuries to the tune of Rs 417 crore per month (and Rs 5,004 crore per annum). Hence the demand that Telangana government review each case of the pensioner who is drawing pension from Telangana district treasuries and take appropriate decision based on nativity criteria.
ARTICLE 371D: The party is agreeable that Article 371-D should continue with a textual amendment, adding the name of the new state to the Article. An appropriate new Presidential Order will be requested for by the Telangana government.
OTHER ISSUES: After its forced merger with AP, Telangana has been plundered in every aspect. The total diversion amounts to 1.73+2.37=4.10 lakh core. This is just the financial aspect. In economic terms, loss of productivity of agriculture due to neglect of its irrigation sources is estimated at Rs. 4,53,392 crore. To top it all, employment opportunities were denied to at least 2.5 lakh of its youth. Hence, TRS demands that being the consistent loser, Telangana needs an appropriate compensatory package to mitigate the historic injustice.
Courtesy: The New Indian Express