Entry tax on AP vehicles is illegal: APCC

Hyderabad, April 6 (INN): Accusing the Telangana Government of neglecting the spirit of AP Reorganisation Act 2014, the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee has described the imposition of entry tax on transport vehicles of AP as illegal.

A delegation of APCC comprising of APCC President Dr N Raghuveera Reddy, Rajya Sabha MP K Chiranjeevi, former minister Botsa Satyanarayana, former union minister Pallam Raju and others called on Governor ESL Narasimhan at Raj Bhavan on Monday and sought his intervention to resolve the issues between the two Telugu speaking States. "The Government of Telangana has been acting unilaterally on a number of issues that affect the common man, neglecting the spirit of the AP Reorganisation Act 2014. While there could be political or personal differences between the Chief Ministers of both states, It is unfortunate that it is having a detrimental effect on the public of both states," they alleged.

The Congress leaders said that the Telangana Government issued orders to levy entry tax on transport vehicles of Andhra Pradesh entering its territory from April 1, 2015, despite being fully aware that Hyderabad remains the joint capital of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh as per Section 5 of the AP Reorganisation Act 2014.

"The Governor of AP, The Chief Minister of AP and the entire State Government is functioning from Hyderabad. It may take several years to relocate the functioning offices effectively from Hyderabad to the designated capital area of Andhra Pradesh, given the paucity of funds to complete construction of the new capital. The Sheila Bhide committee is yet to complete the work relating to division of various Corporations of the joint state. The AP High Court, the AGs office, the RBI, the NABARD and several other Central Government offices continue to work from Hyderabad. The organic linkage between Telangana and AP, as per the spirit of AP Reorganisation Act 2014 will last until 15th June 2024. Lakhs of people have to daily commute from AP region to Telangana to attend to various Government jobs including attending to High Court work and for the education of students studying in various colleges admitted under Section 95 of the AP Reorganisation Act. Asking all these people, who are neither responsible for the division of the state nor ever wanted the state to be divided, to pay entry tax on their commercial vehicles for going to a state with a common capital for next ten years is neither ethical nor even legal considering various provisions of the AP Reorganisation Act 2014. It would be a tremendous additional financial burden to the common man," the alleged.

Similarly, the Congress leaders said that in order to ensure equal opportunities for quality higher education to all students in the successor States, the existing admission quotas in all government or private, aided or unaided, institutions of higher, technical and medical education in so far as it is provided under article 371D of the Constitution, should continue as such for a period of 10 years during which the existing common admission process shall continue. "Till the academic year 2024, both AP and Telangana have to continue the same procedure of common admission as they were adhering till the academic year 2013-14. They have to hold common entrance tests following the law made in Art 371 D of the Constitution of India. We have all been watching helplessly when the Telangana Government has been refusing to follow this section as regards holding common entrance tests," they said.

They said after creating confusion for over 10 months, the Telangana Government had agreed that the eligibility for tuition fees reimbursement will be Article 371 D and not the birth of grandparents of the students before 1956 in Telangana. "It is relevant to understand that these colleges are not located just in the common capital area of GHMC but are spread all over nook and corner of Telangana. This will be the case for the next ten years. We request you kindly use your good offices to prevail upon both the Telangana and the AP Governments to amicably sort out their differences. Vehicles coming to their own capital cannot anyway be subjected to entry tax. Even for others, they can be persuaded to reach a mutual understanding that until 2024 both the states will not levy entry tax. Large number of manufactured goods meant for exports have to be sent to Seaports in AP from Telangana. Non-levy of entry tax by both the states for next 10 years will be in the mutual interest of both the states," the demanded.

The Congress leaders also sought the Governor's intervention in getting immediate relief for the drought-hit farmers. While at least 500 mandals are hit with drought, the State Government has declared only 238 mandals as drought-hit, they alleged.