AP's plea for division of assets: SC issues notices to Telangana, Centre

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday issued notices to Telangana and the Centre asking them to file their counter affidavits in the petition filed by Andhra Pradesh over the division of assets and liabilities between the two states as per the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. The apex court, while taking up the Andhra Pradesh petition for hearing, gave an additional four weeks’ time to both Telangana and the Centre to file their responses.

The Andhra Pradesh government approached the Supreme Court in December 2022 seeking directions for the division of combined assets worth approximately Rs 1.4 lakh crores between the two stake-holding states. It alleged that the exercise for the division of these assets, as envisaged under Schedule 9 and 10 of the reorganisation act, was not complied with.

Responding to the concerns of Andhra Pradesh, the Supreme Court had already issued notices in the past to both Telangana and the Centre. With both the respondents remaining cold to the notices, the Supreme Court issued fresh notices on Friday besides giving them four more weeks of time to file their affidavits.

Counsel for Andhra Pradesh, during the course of the hearing on their petition, urged the Supreme Court for the institution of a committee headed by a Supreme Court retired judge to oversee the division of assets and liabilities. Without committing itself to the request, the apex court however promised to look into the proposal of the Andhra Pradesh government.