Division Process of Telangana, Seemandhra to be Completed Before 2 June, Says Official

Telangana and Seemandhra states would be formed on 2 June, stated Secretary of Union Department of Home Affairs Anil Goswami.

Goswami was reviewing the division process of the two states with the Andhra Pradesh state bureaucracy in Hyderabad on 18 March. He said that there would be no extension of 2 June's Appointed Day or Foundation Day.

According to media reports, the home secretary stated that an appointed group of union ministers will review the progress made in the division work of AP on 21 March. Goswami also strictly instructed state officials not to reveal their recommended region/city for new capital of the proposed Seemandhra state. New capital to Seemandhra will only be decided by the new government at the Centre, which is to be formed after this year's Lok Sabha polls, he added.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary PK Mohanty appraised Goswami, the progress made in the state's divison work and stated that the process would be completed by April end. By utilising the whole of May, the Union government would complete its work before the Appointed Day, Mohanty said. IAS officials are taking active initiative in the state division process, he added.

The State Chief Secretary has formed 19 committees of officials for the state division process. Mohanty said that he has reviewed the division work thrice.

Goswami has instructed the AP officials to speed up the division process. He suggested them to take the help of extra staff if required. He asked the state officials to strictly follow the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 in their process to create the Telangana and Seemandhra states.

Division of key components like the state employees, files, buildings, funds, treasuries between Telangana and Seemandhra should be completed at the earliest. The officials are taking division of three states - Chhattisgarh, Uttaranchal and Jharkhand as a model to carve out Telangana and Seemandhra out of AP. The three aforementioned northern states were formed in 2000. 

Goswami stated that there was no problem in the distribution of assets and liabilities between the two new states to be formed. He asked the officials to complete computerisation of all state files by March end and division of buildings by April end.

If any work still remains in pending even after the 2 June Appointed Day, the AP Reorganisation Act allows the government to continue the work even afterwards, Goswami said. Division of some corporations and public sector undertakings of the state may take longer time, it is said.

Goswami also met the state Governor ESL Narasimhan. The state is now under the President's rule after the AP Assembly was kept under suspended animation.