Vijayawada: According to the AP State Reorganisation Act, the Andhra Pradesh government can continue utilising the government buildings allotted to it for 10 years.

Generally, an owner pays property tax. The AP government says  it is ready to pay the tax, but after 10 years, it would then have the right to sell the buildings.

If the Telangana government accepts this, AP is ready to pay the tax, said a senior AP government official. This has put the Telangana government in a peculiar situation because if it says that it owns the buildings, then the AP government will not have to pay the tax.

The AP government’s allegation is that TS  is not honouring the AP Act and has been acting unilaterally. It has also complained to the Governor and the Centre regarding the institutions listed in 9th and 10th Schedule of the Act.

If the TS government claims right of ownership on these buildings, the AP government will get grounds to prove its allegation.

The Telangana government’s argument is that the institutions and buildings listed in the 10th Schedule belong to TS and the AP government has no right. The AP government says that it has rights on these buildings and they should be divided between the two states in a 58:42 ratio.

Top AP government officials discussed the property tax issue with AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu who told officials to give a fitting reply to TS. Officials are preparing the letter and will send it to the Telangana government after Mr Naidu’s approval.

After the bifurcation, government buildings, the Secretariat, Assembly, ministers’ and MLAs’ quarters and other buildings were divided between the two states by the official committee under the guidance of Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan.