AP High Court adjourns hearing of petitions regarding three state capitals

The AP High Court adjourned the hearing of a host of petitions, pertaining to the three capitals of Andhra Pradesh, to 15 November 2021. This decision, by the AP High Court, is in response to a request made by the eloquence of lawyers, citing the threat of a third wave of COVID-19. The request was put forth to the Chief Justice, Arup Kumar Goswami, on 21 August. The Honourable Judge conceded with the pleas and supported the cause keeping in view the resurgence of Covid-19 and travel restriction implications. 

The petitions, before the Honourable Court of Justice, challenge the Andhra Pradesh Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions and Capital Region Development Authority Repeal Acts, 2020. These legislations were passed last year by the current AP Government to develop Amaravati, Visakhapatnam, and Kurnool as the three Legislative, Executive and Judicial capitals, respectively. While the Acts were passed in the Andhra Pradesh State Assembly, the State Council’s Chairman, Md. Ahmed Shariff, referred them to a select committee, causing a block in its enactment. 

To eventually remove all the hindrances in the enactment of the passed legislation, the AP Assembly passed another resolution abolishing the Council itself. With the abolishment of the Council, the State Government has submitted a recommendation to that effect for which the aggrieved farmers and the State await a response. 

With this decision adjourned by the Andhra Pradesh High Court, thousands of aggrieved villagers and farmers in the Amaravati Capital region will now have to wait another eighty-three days for the Honourable Court to have a physical hearing. 

It could be noted that it is the third time such adjournment has been called for by the AP High Court. Earlier, on 26 March 2021, a bench headed by the Chief Justice heard the petition filed for the first time. The Court then adjourned it to 3 May 2021. It was subsequently adjourned for 23 August 2021. On 23 August, it was again adjourned to 15 November, 2021.