The issue of shifting Andhra Pradesh High Court to Kurnool is sub judice, says Union Law Minister

The Government of Andhra Pradesh and the State High Court will have to form an opinion on the matter, Kiren Rijiju informs Rajya Sabha

Shifting of the principal seat of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh has to be decided by the State government in consultation with the High Court, Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister of Law and Justice, has made it clear.

Replying to a question asked by TDP member Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, Mr. Rijiju said, “The State Government is responsible for meeting the expenditure for running the High Court of the State. Similarly, the Chief Justice of the High Court is responsible for running the day-to-day administration of the court.”

“With respect to Andhra Pradesh, both the State Government and the High Court have to form their opinion on shifting of the court to Kurnool from Amaravati. At present, the matter is sub-judice,” the Union Minister maintained.

Earlier, Mr. Ravindra Kumar questioned the Union Government whether it had received a proposal from the Government of Andhra Pradesh regarding shifting of the State High Court to Kurnool.

The Law Minister further explained that in pursuance of Article 214 of the Constitution and the order dated October 29, 2018, issued by Supreme Court in the matter of Union of India Vs. T. Dhangopal Rao and others, a separate High Court for the State of Andhra Pradesh, namely High Court of Andhra Pradesh, with the principal seat at Amaravati had been established under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, with effect from January 1, 2019, in consultation with the State Government and the then common High Court of Judicature in Hyderabad for the States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, in February 2020, had proposed the shifting of the principal seat of the Andhra Pradesh High Court from Amaravati to Kurnool, he said.

“In the meantime, writ petitions have ben filed in the A.P. High Court against the proposal of the State Government to have three capitals — Executive Capital in Visakhapatnam, Legislative Capital in Amaravati and Judicial Capital in Kurnool. The High Court, in its interim order dated August 4, 2020, had directed the State Government to maintain status quo until further orders. Subsequently, the High Court, vide order dated March 3, 2022, directed the State and the APCRDA to complete the process of development and infrastructure creation in the Amaravati capital city and region,” the Union Minister said.