AP HC Stops Government Shifting From Amaravathi Till Aug 27

The Andhra Pradesh High Court today extended the status quo granted by it on the shifting of government offices from the state capital, to August 27.

A three-judge bench of the HC comprising Justice Rakesh Kumar, Justice AV Shesha Sai and Justice M Satyanarayana Murthy passed the orders while dealing with 55 Public Interest Litigation (PILs) filed challenging the gazette notifications issued by the state government abolishing the CRDA and approving the Decentralisation Of Governance Act.

The counsels for the petitioners told the HC that the formation of three capitals was against the A P Reorganisation Act, and that the Act talked about only one capital for the state.

The HC later dismissed the plea of the counsel for the state government to vacate the interim stay granted on the implementation of the two Acts.

When the counsel for the petitioners urged the HC to hold physical hearings of the cases, the counsel for the state government and Supreme Court advocates told it that they could not attend physical hearings due to the fear of Covid-19.