Cabinet meet on May 18, capital status CM A Revanth Reddy focus

HYDERABAD: Chief minister A Revanth Reddy has convened a meeting of the state cabinet on May 18 to discuss and take decisions on crucial issues like Greater Hyderabad becoming the capital of only Telangana state on completion of 10 years on June 2 and other unsolved disputes between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh over division of assets, pending arrears and other issues as per the AP State Reorganisation Act.

The crucial cabinet meeting will also take a call on Rs 2 lakh crop loan waiver, procurement of paddy and plan for ensuing kharif crop season, among other issues.

The CM, who shifted his focus on governance after nearly two months of election campaign, held a review meeting in the secretariat on Wednesday and asked the officials of all departments concerned to submit a comprehensive report on all the issues arising out of bifurcation and the provisions made in the Act to both Telangana and AP, before the cabinet meeting on Saturday.

During the four-hour long review meeting, senior officials explained to the CM about the issues between the two states. "All issues pertaining to the disputes, mutual agreements between the two states, taking over possession of assets like Lake View Guestv House and other properties given to AP as part of the bifurcation will be discussed in the cabinet meeting," the CM said.

Ministers N Uttam Kumar Reddy and Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and officials of various departments attended the review meeting. The CM directed the officials to submit a report on allocation of employees between the two states, debt, pending distribution and dispute over distribution of institutions listed in Schedule IX and Schedule X of the Act, corporations and their status.

The two Telugu states failed to arrive at a consensus on many issues including distribution of corporations and many institutions, and arrears pertaining to energy department, and the efforts made by Telangana govt to solve these issues with AP govt were explained to CM Revanth by the officials.

The CM also asked the officials to suggest the action to be taken on all the issues keeping in view the completion of 10 years on June 2. "Issues such where there has been mutual willingness like transfer of employees between the two states should be completed at the earliest. And that proper effective action should be initiated to solve the issues where there was dispute or no consensus keeping in view the interests of Telangana," the CM told the officials.

He directed them to take possession of Lake View Guest House and other properties allocated to AP for 10 years, after June 2, as Greater Hyderabad which was the joint capital for both the Telugu states, would become the capital of only Telangana state then.