TS CM writes to Centre over AP Bhavan properties

Hyderabad, June 23 (INN): Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Thursday wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh seeking transfer of properties belonging to Andhra Pradesh Bhavan to Government of Telangana.

"The erstwhile Government of Nizam of Hyderabad obtained a total of 18.18 acres of land in Delhi from Government of India in three bits in the years 1917, 1928 and 1936 on payment as per the records of the then Foreign and Political Department of Government of India. The Hyderabad House and Andhra Pradesh & Telangana Bhavan are situated in these lands at present. The Government of India later took over Hyderabad House and land in extents of 7.56 acres in Pataudi House and 1.21 acres in Nursing Institute was allotted to the then Government of Andhra Pradesh in lieu of this property. Therefore, these properties belonged to the then State of Hyderabad under the rule of VIth Nizam, which remained a separate state even after the independence of India. It was eventually included in the Union in the year 1948. Incidentally Andhra State did not exist then, as it was carved out of the erstwhile Madras State in October 1953 only, whereas the State of Hyderabad continued to exist as such from 1948 until November, 1956, when 'Andhra State' was merged with the Telugu speaking areas of Hyderabad State to create the State of Andhra Pradesh on 1.11.1956," the Chief Minister said.

Further, KCR said that the State of Telangana was formed on 2nd June, 2014 which was a case of demerger rather than the creation of a new State, as the part which was added to the erstwhile State of Hyderabad has now been separated again and it is now the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh, which is same and not different from the 'Andhra State' as it existed from 1953 to 1956.

Therefore, the Chief Minister said that the property situated in Delhi, which belonged to the Nizam and subsequently to the Hyderabad State in the Union of India, should also devolve to the State of Telangana and could not be divided between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. "This is particularly so in view of the fact that till 1956, there were two states namely Hyderabad and Andhra, who should have been having separate state bhavans. The property of Nizam would have been with the 'Hyderabad State' and the 'Andhra State' should have been allotted a land for setting up its Bhavan immediately after its separation from the erstwhile state of Madras in October 1953, or else it should have had its share in the ratio of population in the property situated in New Delhi, belonging to the erstwhile State of Madras (now Tamil Nadu)," he said.

KCR urged that the entire land presently in possession of A.P. Bhavan should be transferred to the Government of Telangana, as it belonged to the erstwhile State of Hyderabad. He said Andhra Pradesh Government may be allotted some other land in Delhi, to set up their State Mayan and Resident Commissioner's Office. "Since only the buildings at this site were constructed with the common resources of Andhra Pradesh, the Government of Telangana will compensate the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh to the extent of its share in the book value of these buildings in the ratio of population between the two states," he said.

The Chief has requested for an early decision in the matter, as he said that the Telangana Government would like to soon start the construction of Telangana Bhavan in a systematic and planned manner with adequate facilities including a cultural centre for the people of Telangana living in Delhi.