Andhra Pradesh High Court extends status quo on three capitals till October 5

The Andhra Pradesh high court has further extended its status quo orders barring the Jaganmohan Reddy government’s capital shift move till October 5.

The two legislations which enable the setting up of three capitals in the state were notified after governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan’s assent, on July 31.

But the Reddy government could not move forward because of the legal hurdle in the form of over 90 petitions from Amaravati’s local farmers, politicians, who are challenging the capital change on various grounds.

Hearing these petitions, the court had first imposed the freeze orders on August 4, which were extended till September 21. The case would be now heard on October 5.

The orders have restrained the government, which was keen to relocate the executive capital to Visakhapatnam and later the judiciary to Kurnool, leaving Amaravati as the only legislative capital.

The Supreme Court had, last month, declined to examine the government’s special leave petition challenging the high court’s orders.

On Monday, the high court, which is also reviewing a contempt petition alleging that the state was going ahead with the construction of a guest house near Visakhapatnam despite the restraint imposed, has reportedly allowed Andhra Pradesh chief secretary Nilam Sawhney one week time to file a counter-affidavit.

However, in what came as a shot in the arm for Reddy, an affidavit filed earlier before the high court by the Central government asserted that it has no role in deciding the location of the capital of a state.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has also declared that there is no statutory provision disallowing the state government from having more than one capital.