More troubles await the Congress in coming days as people opposed to creation of Telengana have lost the jewel – Hyderabad to the new state. The Congress leaders, the Congress Ministers in the Manmohan Singh Government, the core committee, the Prime Minister and the Congress President Sonia Gandhi have lit fire in the state. To douse the flame there is only one solution- make the city of Hyderabad a Union Territory that would serve as the joint capital of the two states like Chandigarh.
After
the partition of India, the erstwhile province of Punjab was split into two.
The east Punjab became part of India while west Punjab went to Pakistan and
with that the capital of united Punjab, Lahore went to Pakistan.
The
Indian government commissioned a team of experts to find a suitable city that
would be the capital of Punjab. Somehow the existing cities of Punjab were
found unsuitable to be made into a capital city. Finally a new capital of
Chandigarh was created after ten years of Independence. But in 1966, Punjab was
bifurcated and a new state of Harayana came into being. There was dispute over
the capital as Punjab did not want to lose control of the planned city and
Harayana was equally adamant to retain Chandigarh. Good sense prevailed and the
Centre decided to make Chandigarh as a Union Territory which is the common
capital of the two states.
In
case of the latest decision the Centre has proposed that Hyderabad will serve
as the common capital of Andhra and Telengana for ten years after the new state
is constitutionally created. After 10 years, the Centre says, suitable place
would be found to raise a new capital for Andhra Pradesh.
Under
the scheme, even if Hyderabad is the shared capital of the two states, some
infrastructure has to come up. For instance, a new Assembly House has to be
built for Andhra. Unless it is decided that the High Court would serve as the
High Court of Andhra Pradesh and Telengana, as is the case in Punjab and
Harayana, a new premises of the High Court has to be built. A new secretariat
has to be built for Andhra Pradesh in Hyderabad itself. Else, how and from
where in Hyderabad Andhra would function for 10 years.
Once
the structures come up what would happen to those buildings after 10 years when
the capital of Andhra Pradesh is shifted out to a new place?
Andhra
stands to lose heavily in terms of revenue as a large number of companies and
industries in the united Andhra Pradesh have their registered office in
Hyderabad. All revenue by way taxes and royalties would go to Telengana.
Hyderabad is a hub of information technology besides being centre of large
industry and business. It has inbuilt communications of rail and air links with
rest of the country.
Hyderabad
has a thriving Telugu film industry that generates capital running into hundreds
of crores of rupees. All this will go to Telengana.
One
wonders at the wisdom of the Congress stalwarts and its think tank who,
apparently missed the point or deliberately refused to look at the history of
Chandigarh. It is not too late even now. It is in the larger interest of the
people of Adnhra Pradesh that the Centre by amending the Constitution declares
Hyderabad a Union Territory and let Andhra and Telengana share the capital and
its infrastructure.
The
industry and business is a worried lot in Hyderabad for they don’t know how the
new state government would conduct itself vis a vis industry, trade and
commerce. A union territory would ensure smooth functioning of industry and
trade. Also, the Centre stands to gain in terms of revenue collections. There
would be no heart burning and agitation for sharing of the riches of Hyderabad
between the people of the two states. The fire lit by the Congress and the UPA
government would douse without firefighting! Will the Congress listen or the
amend in the decision would be done by the next government at the Centre in
2014?
~R. K. Sinha
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