Decoding Telangana’s history

Hyderabad: This is in continuation to the last article on the Gentlemen’s Agreement. The Gentlemen’s Agreement consisted of the following fourteen points: 1. The centralised and general administration expenditure of Telangana and Andhra areas must be distributed on the basis of territory and population. The surplus income from Telangana must be reserved for the development […]

Hyderabad: This is in continuation to the last article on the Gentlemen’s Agreement.

The Gentlemen’s Agreement consisted of the following fourteen points:
1. The centralised and general administration expenditure of Telangana and Andhra areas must be distributed on the basis of territory and population. The surplus income from Telangana must be reserved for the development of Telangana region only.

2. Students from Telangana must be given opportunities in the educational institutions of the region. Admissions into technical institutions in the Telangana region must be restricted for students from Telangana only. If this is not possible, 1/3rd of the total admissions in all educational institutions across the State must be reserved for Telangana students.

3. Urdu must continue in the administration and judiciary for the next five years after which the situation will be reviewed by the Regional Council. There should not be any condition of compulsory knowledge in Telugu as a qualification for government jobs. However, a proficiency test can be conducted in Telugu after two years of appointment.

4. A Regional Council must be constituted for overall development of the Telangana region.

5. Composition of Regional Council:

The Regional Council shall comprise of 20 members –
– 9 legislators representing the nine districts of Telangana
– 6 legislators (MPs or MLAs from Telangana region) elected by the MLAs belonging to Telangana region

– 5 non-legislative co-opted members

The CM or Deputy CM, whoever is from Telangana, will head the council and the cabinet ministers from Telangana will be special invites.

6. The Regional Council must be a constitutional body and it must have decision making powers on the following matters:

a) Development and economic planning
b) Local self – government with regard to Municipal Corporations, Development Trusts, District Boards and District Authorities
c) Public health sanitation, hospitals and dispensaries
d) Primary and secondary education
e) Regulation of admissions to educational institutions in the Telangana region.
f) Prohibition on sale of agricultural lands
g) Cottage and small scale industries
h) Agricultural co-operative societies, markets and fairs
7. Advice tendered by the regional committee will normally be accepted by the Government and the State Legislature. In case of difference of opinion between the Regional Council and the government, the matter will be referred to the Governor whose decision will be final.
8. The CM or Deputy CM must be from Telangana region and two out of the following five ministries must be allocated to Telangana Ministers.
a. Home
b. Finance
c. Revenue
d. Planning and Development
e. Commerce and Industries
9. The ratio of ministers in the Council of Ministers must be 60:40 from Andhra and Telangana regions respectively. In the 40 per cent allocated to Telangana there should be one Muslim member.
10. Domicile rules: Telangana region is regarded as a single unit as far as recruitment to subordinate services is concerned. Posts in this cadre shall be reserved for persons who satisfy the domicile conditions as prescribed under the existing Hyderabad Mulki rules.
11. Retrenchment (removal) from service should be proportionate from both the regions if it is inevitable due to integration of the two regions.
12. The sale of agricultural land in the Telangana region must be under the control of the Regional Council.
13. Future recruitment to public service should be based on the population of the two regions.
14. The HPCC should be continued up to the end of 1962.
It was also agreed that the provisions of this agreement will be reviewed after 10 years.
The Central Government on August 10, 1956, introduced a note on the safeguards proposed for Telangana area in the Parliament. The note was based on the Gentlemen’s Agreement and it was introduced with the purpose of implementing the SRC recommendations of the centre guaranteeing the safeguards given to the Telangana region.
In order to implement the note on safeguards, Article 371 (1) was added by the 7th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1956 and was repealed by 32nd CAA, 1973, which inserted 371 (D) in the Constitution Article 371 (1) this article dealt with special provisions that can be made by the President, for the states of AP, Punjab, Maharashtra and Gujarat.
On the basis of this Article, the President issued the AP Regional Committee Order, 1958 which came into effect from February 1, 1958.

Thus, the state of Andhra Pradesh or Vishalaandhra was finally created through the States Reorganisation Act and inaugurated on November 1, 1956 with an assurance of safeguarding the interests of people of Telangana in the form of Gentlemen’s Agreement.

To be continued…

– By Shikara Academy