Sharing assets of RTC seems to be emerging as a major contentious issue between two Telugu issues on the bifurcation of common institutions mentioned in the AP Reorganisation Act.
Presently, the Telangana government is insisting that Andhra Pradesh government should vacate all the buildings at its dispose in Hyderabad, including secretariat, assembly and officers’ quarters, as already they have shifted offices to Velagapudi and those buildings, as those buildings are kept in vacant.
But the Andhra Pradesh government is stating that they would consider this proposal only after bifurcation of all common institution’s assets. The same issue was also figured at the meetings conveyed with representatives of two governments’ at Raj Bhavan by Governor ESL Narasimhan.
The Andhra Pradesh government is demanding their share in 14 major buildings of RTC in Hyderabad. But Telangana officials stating that as per Section 52 of the AP Reorganisation Act only the Bus Bhavan should be considered for the purpose since the sharing of assets is an issue that pertains to headquarters and no other properties.
The APSRTC had presented a list of 14 properties of the RTC before the joint secretary, Union Home Ministry at a recent meeting saying that the division of assets should be on 52:48 basis. However, the Telangana officials told the Joint Secretary that only the Bus Bhavan comes under the headquarters assets and they were ready to give the 52 per cent share in monetary form to their AP counterparts.
The Telangana officials say that the assets in Hyderabad belong to the period of Nizams and it was only the Bus Bhavan which was constructed by the government. As per Section 52 of the AP Reorganisation Act, the assets locally situated in the state belong to the same state and as per the ‘headquarter’ terminology of home department, only Bus Bhavan falls under the category.
