మంత్రుల గుంపుకు నా ఉత్తరం

శతకోటి ఉపాయాలకు అనంతకోటి దరిద్రాలు అన్నట్టుగా తయారైంది రాష్ట్ర విభజన. వాటిలో ఓ ఉపాయం మంత్రుల గుంపు. (మంత్రుల ’గుంపు’ అంటూంటే నవ్వొస్తోంది -నాన్నా.. మంత్రులే గుంపులు గుంపులుగా ఉంటారు. సోనియా మాత్రం ఒంటరిగానే ఉంటది).  ఈ గుంపు ఎన్ని దరిద్రాలను సృష్టించనుందో చూడాలి.

నా బుర్రకు తోచిన సూచనలను మెయిల్లో పెట్టి, గుంపుకు పంపేసాను. గడువు ఆఖరి రోజున కుసింత హడావుడిగా రాసి, సరిగ్గా ఐదింటికి రెణ్ణిమిషాల ముందు తోసేసాను మెయిల్ని. మన ఈమెయిళ్ళను చూసేంత తీరిక ఓపికా ఢిల్లీలో ఎవరికీ లేదని తెలిసినా ఏదో నా తుత్తి కోసం...

Suggestions on the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh

Tummala Sirish Kumar (siri...la@జీమెయిల్.కామ్)

5 November 2013

To

The Group Of Ministers

Government of India

Sub: Suggestions on the proposal to bifurcate the state of Andhra Pradesh

The proposed bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh has evoked strong protests from the people of Coastal and Rayalaseema regions. No state reorganization has resulted in so much of popular protest since the partition of Bengal by the British. Centre, just like the British in the case of Bengal partition, has largely ignored the apprehensions of the people of Coastal and Rayalaseema regions.

If the Centre continues to ignore people’s protests and persists with its decision, then I suggest it should take the following steps before initiating the bifurcation process. 

The proposed bifurcation results in formation of two states. Centre should announce that two new states are being formed by dissolving the old state of Andhra Pradesh. While one of the new states is called Telangana, the other should be called with a new name like “Seemandhra” or any other appropriate name as accepted by the people of that state. The suggestions provided in this document pertain to the Seemandhra state except wherever specified.

Since putting off the December 9, 2009 decision on state bifurcation, a viral campaign has been launched by some groups of Telangana region, vitiating the harmonious atmosphere in the state. The cornerstone of the campaign has been to create hatred amongst the people of Telangana against their brothers of other regions. Constructive steps should be taken to clear the air before bifurcation. Some are suggested here:
Issue	Suggested Action
Reason for state bifurcation: There is no clarity as to why the state is being bifurcated.	Rationale: Centre should make public, the reasons for bifurcating the state. People of Coastal and Rayalaseema regions consider that there is no rationale behind the bifurcation. If Centre reveals the reasons, the bifurcation might be more acceptable.
Development disparity: Leaders of Telanagana regions have been complaining about development disparity for separate state demand. This has been refuted by the people of other two regions. This issue needs to be clarified by the Government.	White paper: State government should release a white paper on the present status of the three regions - economic, human development, cultural, education etc. A district-wise summary report will make things clearer to the people to understand the rationale behind the bifurcation.
Post bifurcation, Coastal and Rayalaseema regions will be thrown back into the past in terms of per capita income, growth opportunities, state income etc.	Post-bifurcation scenario: The state Government should bring out a report on what would be the status of the two states immediately after the bifurcation - GDP, per capita income, employment and education opportunities etc. This way people can better understand the immediate after effects of the bifurcation.
Long term effect of the bifurcation: The reorganization of the state should be fruitful to the people of all regions. People of Coastal and Rayalaseema regions fear that the bifurcation will adversely affect them. Their fears should be allayed.	Future vision: Centre should release a detailed forecast on what and how the it is planning to achieve with respect to the development of the two states in the immediate two or three decades after the bifurcation – how the bifurcation will help all the three regions.

Centre should address the following issues before starting the process to ensure that the disproportionate distribution of wealth due to bifurcation between the two states can be corrected. This way the loss of Coastal and Rayalseema regions can be reduced.
Issue	Suggested Action
Hyderabad: Hyderabad is not just a capital city but a development hub for the entire Andhra Pradesh. The Development explosion that Hyderabad had witnessed in the recent past has been achieved at the cost of the development in the three regions of the State. At present these regions are many times more dependent on Hyderabad than they were in 1972 for employment opportunities, business opportunities etc.	1.   Distribute the revenue of Greater Hyderabad area between the two states for a definite period of time, say 15 years. The share of Coastal and Rayalaseema regions can be progressively reduced. 2.   The employment and education opportunities, presently available for each region at present, should continue for the same period.
Water sharing: The three regions share the most important water resources - rivers Krishna and Godavari. Water sharing issues can cripple the relations between the new states besides putting the Centre at an unenviable position of resolving another perennial problem like Kaveri water sharing issue.	Nagarjuna Sagar and Srisailam on River Krishna: A well defined water sharing pact should be put in place. The administrative and operational control of the dams should be vested with Seemanadhra state.  Polavaram project: Polavaram project on River Godavari should be constructed as a national project.
Development of infrastructure for -  Capital city, industry, administrative, education, agriculture etc.	Infrastructure development: A detailed plan should be announced by the centre on the infrastructure development in the new state -Seemandhra. Care should be taken to distribute the development through the state instead of focusing at one location. Special Tax Incentives should be announced for industries. Centre should initiate core infrastructural projects in the Seemandhra state like power, transportation etc.
Promises should be kept: There are apprehensions that the promises given at the time of bifurcation will be ignored in future. There are enough precedents to prove this point.	Constitutional guarantees: Centre should provide constitutional guarantees for all the promises that are being made to the new states. The funds, the infrastructure, water sharing accords etc should all be covered in these guarantees.

I hope Centre will take steps to meet the aspirations of the people of all regions, true to the spirit of democracy.