Telangana was promised a “Regional Council” with extensive powers to ensure political representation and regional development. Instead, a much weaker “Telangana Regional Committee” (TRC) was established, which only had advisory powers and could not implement significant plans or policies.
Impact: This led to Telangana’s inability to express its political opinions effectively and prevented the development of an independent political leadership.
Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, and Ministerial Posts
The Gentlemen’s Agreement stipulated that if the Chief Minister was from Andhra, the Deputy Chief Minister should be from Telangana, and vice versa. This was not followed, and important ministerial portfolios were disproportionately allocated to Andhra leaders, weakening Telangana’s political representation.
Impact: Telangana leaders were sidelined, and important departmental powers were either split or retained by the Chief Minister, limiting the influence of Telangana ministers.
Telangana Congress Committee
Agreement Violation: The Telangana Congress Committee was supposed to remain separate until 1962, but it was merged with the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee in 1957, diluting Telangana’s political influence.
Impact: This merger weakened Telangana’s political identity, reduced its representation at the national level, and concentrated power in the hands of Andhra leaders.
Violations in the Irrigation Sector
Agreement Violation: Despite the provisions for proportional expenditure between Andhra and Telangana, the irrigation capacity in Telangana was neglected. Major projects planned during the Nizam’s rule were ignored, and the agreed-upon 2:1 expenditure ratio was not honored in irrigation projects.
Impact: Telangana’s irrigation infrastructure lagged, leading to lower agricultural productivity and economic disparities compared to the Andhra region. The neglect of projects like the Ichampalli Project and improper allocation of Krishna and Godavari river waters further exacerbated the region’s underdevelopment.
Bachawat Committee (1969)
Agreement Violation: The Bachawat Tribunal’s allocation of Krishna waters to Telangana was not fully implemented, with the region receiving significantly less water than allocated. The projects intended to improve irrigation in Telangana were neglected, particularly in Mahabubnagar district.
Impact: This resulted in low irrigation coverage, drought conditions, and mass migration from Telangana, further deepening the region’s socio-economic challenges.
Canal, Tank, and Borewell Irrigation Issues
Due to inadequate canal irrigation, farmers in Telangana had to rely on bore wells, leading to increased costs and frequent equipment failures due to low-capacity transformers.
Impact: The lack of proper irrigation infrastructure increased the financial burden on farmers and hindered agricultural development in the region.
