Full text of YSPCP's letter to PM

Kind reference is invited to our open letter dated 10^th August 2013, a copy of which was sent to you on 14^th August 2013 praying for holding the proposal for division of Andhra Pradesh till a large number of issues that concern the people of Andhra region comprising coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema are amicably resolved and until the people of that region are satisfied that justice is done to them. A copy of the same is enclosed for your ready reference. The situation in Andhra Pradesh, particularly in Andhra region is very bad and volatile with life completely paralysed because of the ongoing agitation against the arbitrary and irrational decision taken by the CWC. The agitation is by and large voluntary and apolitical. The division of a large State like Andhra Pradesh with a population of over 8.50 crores and which has been in existence for over 57 years without any valid basis is very complicated. Incidentally, Andhra Pradesh is the first State to be created on linguistic basis in the country. Unless the Government takes into confidence various stakeholders from all regions of the State and satisfies them that no injustice will be done to any region, they should not go ahead with the process of division of the State. There are very unique problems as far as Andhra Pradesh is concerned.

Ever since the Congress Working Committee (CWC), in supersession of its earlier decision in the year 2001 to resolve the demands from various states in the country for separate statehood by constituting a second States Reorganization Committee (SRC), announced its decision on 30^th July 2013 to accede to the demand for creation of only Telangana state by division of Andhra Pradesh, while ignoring all other demands like Gorkhaland, Bodoland, Vidharbha, Harith Pradesh etc, things have never been the same in Andhra Pradesh.

For instance, Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Area (HMDA) has emerged not only as a political capital of Andhra Pradesh but also as a super economic power house accounting for 70% of the manufacturing GDP of the state and 95% of the software activity of the state, besides housing almost all the institutions of higher learning and the most prestigious civil and defence research laboratories. The HMDA accounts approximately for 40% of the states own revenues. Unfortunately, Successive Governments in the state have encouraged all the industrial investments both in public and private sectors in HMDA although there are many districts in Andhra region which have much better connectivity and infrastructure compared to the districts in various states which are presently housing large public sector units. As almost all the public sector units were located in HMDA, the private sector also had to come here initially as ancillaries and these have now become global giants. It is important to note that the people from Andhra region have moved to Hyderabad and invested their destiny as it happens to be the capital of entire Andhra Pradesh. 

If the State is divided, what will happen to the investments of the people from Andhra region? Is it possible to migrate all these industries to Andhra region? How much of time and money is required to recreate the same in Andhra region and who is going to fund it? What will happen to the revenues that are accruing in HMDA? How will the Central Government compensate Andhra region for the loss of revenue in HMDA area?  Will the Central Government be able to promote all the institutions of higher learning and civil and defence research laboratories besides the Public sector units in Andhra region?

Similarly, what will happen to irrigation projects and water sharing? Even now, about 62% of the states work force is engaged in Agriculture, for which water becomes very critical. Four major irrigation projects were constructed on Krishna, Godavari and Penna rivers in 1850s by the then British Government. After independence, the Nagarjunasagar, Srisailam and Jurala Projects were implemented in Andhra Pradesh with defined water allotments to both Andhra and Telangana regions. The releases are going on smoothly for the last several decades. However, given the experience of upper riparian states not releasing the allotted water to tail end states like us in the years of rainfall deficit even in the face of directions from Supreme Court, Inter-state Water Tribunals and Central Government,  these projects are likely to face even greater problems if a new state is created. We have been seeing as to how inter-state arrangements for water releases from Tungabhadra dam at Hospet have completely failed to protect the interests of Rayalaseema region, which has been getting, in most of the years, only 60% of the allotted water share.  With the proposed division of the state, the problems will be multiplied in proportions unheard and the Andhra region has to contend itself with salt water! It is surprising that the CWC resolution does not talk of the fate of Bhadrachalam division which has been added to Khammam district in 1959 from East Godavari district of Andhra region. Without addressing this, how does the CWC hope that Polavaram project will get enough water?

Is it not a fact that without finding solutions for these important issues connected with livelihoods of over 62% of state’s population, division of the State will create huge problems for the people of Andhra region, particularly in the context of the entire manufacturing industry and software business remaining in HMDA  which is slated to be part of Telangana state as per CWC resolution? This means that if the State is divided, the entire Andhra region will be deprived of their due share of water for irrigation projects, revenues from HMDA and complete loss of industry and services sector.

It is exactly for these reasons that at the all party meeting held on 28^th December 2012, under the chairmanship of the Hon’ble Union Home Minister on the issue of Telangana, our party submitted that, as the power to create new states is vested with the Central Government and Parliament under Article 3 of the  Constitution of India, the Government of India should take a proper decision on this sensitive issue ensuring that justice is done to people of both the regions of the state viz Andhra and Telangana regions.

Immediately after the announcement of the decision by the CWC, we demanded that the Government of India should place the entire proposal for division addressing the important issues like water sharing and revenue sharing, the funding for new capital city and infrastructure creation etc for discussion with various stakeholders before the final decision on the issue of division of the state is taken. For this, the Central Government could have appointed a high powered committee comprising Politicians, Economists, Irrigation and Legal experts to study all the above issues in a dispassionate manner.  Instead of appointing a High Powered Committee by the Government, surprisingly a Congress committee headed by Mr.  A K Anthony was appointed not to dispassionately study the feasibility of the division of the State keeping in mind the above complex issues but to somehow divide the State.

Protesting against this, I and both the Members of Parliament from our party including the Party President Sri. Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy have resigned from our respective positions as Member of Legislative Assembly and as Members of Parliament to stand by the people fighting for justice. Several of our Party MLAs including myself were on indefinite fast but the Government has been most undemocratically foisting it. Having no other option, our Party President Sri. Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has started an indefinite fast from 25^th August 2013 from his cell in Chanchalguda jail in Hyderabad. The situation is slowly going out of hand. There is absolutely no governance in the State for the last 4 years. All sections of people are suffering because of the uncertainty prevailing in the state.

In the light of the above, we request you to kindly not to take up the issue of division of State until a satisfactory solution is found for all the problems listed above and until People of both the regions are satisfied that Justice can be done to them.  We have been demanding that that status quo be maintained in case Justice cannot be done for both the regions.

With highest Regards,

                                                                                                                        Yours Sincerely,