Considering the many advantages it is enjoying Visakhapatnam is the best suited city to locate the High Court of Andhra Pradesh (which will be formed as part of the bifurcation of the State), says former Chairman of Bar Council of India and an advocate, who has toured several parts of India and some foreign countries, D.V. Subba Rao.
“The ambience and the atmosphere itself (of the city) and the fine air, train and road connectivity it has, the infrastructure available, the many educational institutions functioning in the city should make Visakhapatnam the best choice for locating the High Court”, Mr. Subba Rao told The Hindu on Wednesday.
Vijayawada and Kurnool, from where also there is a demand for locating the HC, do not have these features. He feels that the port city suits the High Court Judges better than Vijayawada and Kurnool.
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He said advocates from major cities and different parts of the country will be coming to a High Court and for them the air connectivity, which is readily available since the city is connected to all metros, is important.
They can return to their cities the same day. Then there are of course the trains. Advocates from neighbouring districts can easily reach here by leaving their towns in the morning.
Also there is a lot of industrial litigation from the city and it would be convenient for all the concerned if the High Court is in the city.
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If the demand of the Kurnool is accepted, it will take a long time to create the infrastructure and get many flights operated from that place. A High Court Bench could be established in Kurnool to cater to the needs of Rayalaseema districts, he said.
Regarding Vijayawada, near which the State capital will come up, Mr. Subba Rao said it was not mandatory or in tune with convention that the High Court should be established in the State capital. He cited the examples of UP, MP, Kerala and Odisha where the HCs of the respective States are not in their capitals.
He recalled that Visakhapatnam lost the chance to have High Court in Andhra State (after bifurcated from combined Madras State) by just one vote and the court was established in Guntur. It functioned there till the combined Andhra Pradesh was formed and the High Court for the State was established in Hyderabad.