Andhra Pradesh is in a very strange situation since it no longer officially has a capital from today. Hyderabad was the capital of Andhra Pradesh till 1st of June 2024. Now Hyderabad is no longer the common capital of Telangana and Andhra. Since Hyderabad is no longer the common capital of Telangana and Andhra, there remains uncertainty over the fate of buildings allotted to Andhra in Hyderabad.
During the last 10-year period, Andhra Pradesh could conduct its administration and assembly proceedings from Hyderabad, unless it had its capital city. As per the agreement, a part of the Secretariat complex and some buildings in Hyderabad were allotted to Andhra to run the administration. Similarly, the Lake View Guest House located near Raj Bhavan in Somajiguda was also allotted to the camp office of the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister.
Andhra Pradesh does not have a permanent capital
Currently, Andhra Pradesh has not yet established a permanent capital. This is with the ongoing disputes over Amaravati and Visakhapatnam still pending in the courts. Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy has indicated that if he remains in power, Visakhapatnam will serve as the administrative capital, the state assembly in Amravati and Kurnool the judicial capital.
After the partition of the state, the administration of Andhra Pradesh operated from Hyderabad. However, the then Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu decided to build a new capital city at Amaravati. Moreover, he found it inconvenient to administer Andhra Pradesh from the neighbouring state. Although Hyderabad remained the common capital for 10 years.
Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Partition
The partition of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh is a significant event in the history of India. Particularly in the context of the reorganization of states based on linguistic lines. Here’s a brief overview:
Background:
Before independence, the region of Telangana was part of the princely state of Hyderabad. While Andhra Pradesh was part of the Madras Presidency. After independence, there were demands for the creation of a separate Telangana state. It was due to cultural, social, and economic differences between Telangana and the coastal Andhra region.
Formation of Andhra Pradesh:
In 1953, the state of Andhra Pradesh was formed by merging the Telugu-speaking areas of the Madras Presidency with the Andhra state. This move was largely seen as a linguistic reorganization to create states based on the language spoken by the majority of the population.
Demand and moment for SeparateTelangana:
Despite the formation of Andhra Pradesh, the demand for a separate Telangana state continued to persist. The people of Telangana felt marginalized and believed that their interests were not adequately represented within the larger state. The demand for a separate Telangana state gained momentum over the years, leading to various protests, agitations, and movements. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) emerged as a key political force advocating for the cause of Telangana.
Formation of Telangana:
After years of political negotiations and agitation, the Indian government finally agreed to the formation of Telangana as a separate state. Telangana was officially carved out of Andhra Pradesh on June 2, 2014, becoming the 29th state of India. Hyderabad, the joint capital of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, was made the capital of Telangana.
Aftermath:
The formation of Telangana led to administrative and logistical challenges, particularly in the division of assets, resources, and infrastructure between the two states. However, it also provided a sense of cultural and political identity to the people of Telangana. People of Telangana now had their state government to address their specific needs and aspirations.
Overall, the partition of Telangana and Andhra reflects the complex dynamics of linguistic, cultural, and political identity in India. Moreover, it remains a subject of ongoing debate and analysis. Even after 10 years of partition, there are still disputes on many issues between the two states and their solution has not been found. Moreover, no solution has been found regarding property distribution.
Andhra Pradesh Government running from Vijayawada and Guntur
Without waiting for the construction of the new capital, Naidu decided to shift the administration to Vijayawada and parts of Guntur. Within a year, he built the state secretariat at Velagapudi in Amaravati and shifted the administrative system there. Within no time, the state assembly was shifted. Furthermore, a few years later, even the High Court was shifted to Amravati.
Over time, the Andhra Pradesh government vacated most of its allotted buildings in Hyderabad. It included those given to the state secretariat and handed them over to Telangana. Only three buildings – the Hermitage official building complex at Adarsh ​​Nagar, the Crime Investigation Department (CID) building at Lakdi-Ka-Pool and the Lake View Guest House are still under the control of the Andhra government.
Telangana gave instructions to take over the allotted buildings
Hyderabad became the sole capital of Telangana on Sunday. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, at an official review meeting on May 15, directed officials to take over the buildings allotted to Andhra for 10 years.
A senior official of the Telangana Secretariat, familiar with the development, said that the Andhra Pradesh government had written to the Telangana government a few days ago. They requested to be allowed to retain these three buildings for another year. Until they find a permanent residence for them in Andhra.
Andhra intends to continue running its offices in Hyderabad for some more time. Until they get permanent buildings, the official said. They have also offered to pay rent for it from June 2.
