Telugu States’ Leaders Meet: Key Discussions on Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act and Power Dues
Hyderabad :- In a highly anticipated meeting, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and his Telangana counterpart A. Revanth Reddy convened at the Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Praja Bhavan on Saturday to discuss pressing inter-state issues. This marked their first face-to-face interaction since Naidu’s recent assumption of office.
The meeting, held at Praja Bhavan in Begumpet, commenced around 6 p.m. with a ceremonial welcome for Naidu by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, and ministers D. Sridhar Babu and Ponnam Prabhakar. The cordial exchange of bouquets between the two leaders signified the start of their discussions.
Ministers and senior officials from both states attended the meeting, focusing on resolving issues arising from the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act of 2014. Representing Telangana were CM Revanth Reddy, Deputy CM Vikramarka, several ministers, Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari, and other senior officials. Andhra Pradesh’s delegation, led by Naidu, included ministers Kandula Durgesh, Satyaprasad, BC Janardhan Reddy, Chief Secretary Neerabh Kumar Pradesh, and other senior officials.
The agenda centered on the distribution of assets and liabilities of institutions listed under Schedules IX and X of the Reorganisation Act. The meeting also addressed pending power dues, with Andhra Pradesh demanding Rs 6,742 crore for power supplied to Telangana post-bifurcation, while Telangana countered with a claim of Rs 17,828 crore for power purchases from other states due to Andhra Pradesh’s termination of power purchase agreements.
This significant meeting, the first between the Telugu states’ chief ministers in four years, was proposed by Naidu on July 1 and accepted by Revanth Reddy the following day. The discussions aimed to find amicable solutions to the long-standing issues, with senior officials from relevant departments participating in the deliberations.
The historical context of the leaders’ relationship added a layer of complexity to the meeting. Revanth Reddy, who once worked as an MLA under Naidu in united Andhra Pradesh and later in Telangana, had joined the Congress in 2017, charting his own political course.
The outcome of this meeting is keenly awaited, as it holds the potential to resolve decade-long disputes and foster a collaborative relationship between the neighboring states.
