The Supreme Court on Monday told the Hyderabad High Court to accept a proposal by the Andhra Pradesh government where it asked to run the state's HC in temporary accommodation, till the final buildings were completed. The temporary HC is expected to come up at Amaravati, the state's new capital. The SC also asked the central government to issue a notification over the matter.
A two-member Supreme Court Bench of Justice AK Sikri and Justice Ashok Bhushan was hearing a plea filed by the central government, which had challenged a 2015 order of the Hyderabad High Court.
The Hyderabad HC had said that the permanent HC for Andhra must be constructed within the state only. The Centre had challenged this, stating that as Hyderabad was the common capital of both states for 10 years and the delay in bifurcation was causing several problems, a temporary HC could be established in the city as there was enough infrastructure. The Andhra government in its response said that the temporary accomodation could also be arranged in its own upcoming capital.
After hearing all sides on Monday, the Supreme Court asked the Centre to issue a notification for bifurcation of the High Court, citing the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act of 2014.
Earlier this month, the AP government informed the Supreme Court that the accommodation for a temporary HC at Amaravati would be ready in December 2018.
Last year, after protests rocked the Lok Sabha, then Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad spoke in the House on the matter of bifurcating the Hyderabad High Court and said that Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu had offered four buildings in Amaravati to temporarily host the state's High Court.
The bifurcation would take place according to the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014, the Union Minister said.
Naidu has asked for suggestions by the end of January, so that modifications to the buildings can be made by April, and the court itself can begin functioning by June this year. However, the state now hopes to have a functioning HC by the end of this year.