In a setback to the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy led Andhra Pradesh government, the Supreme Court refused to accet a request from the state to stay the high court order from March last year that told the YSR Congress Party(YCP) government to develop Amaravati as the state’s capital within six months.The apex court listed the case for further hearing on July 11.
The YCP-led Andhra Pradesh government has been dropping enough hints that they’re set to move to Vizag soon and start the administration from there.But there are several legal bindings associated with the same and the YCP leaders are scratching their heads in connection with this.
The government approached the Supreme Court to expedite the Amaravati case and also issue a stay on the AP high court’s order to the state government to continue Amaravati as the capital.The Supreme Court disappointed the Jagan government on both counts.
The Supreme Court added that it is not possible to organise a quick hearing of the case and stated, the court will take the case filed by the AP government as the 1st one on 11 July.The Supreme Court went on to add that they can’t issue a stay on the verdict of the AP high court regarding the continuation of Amaravati as the state capital.
The YCP government is now disappointed that both their pleas were turned down by the Apex court.
After the bifurcation of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh in 2014 into Telangana and a truncated Andhra Pradesh, both were supposed to share Hyderabad as capital for 10 years.
Chandrababu Naidu, who was elected Chief Minister of the new state, announced he would build a world class greenfield capital at Amaravati.Prime Minister Narendra Modi had gone for the ground-breaking ceremony.
Thousands of acres of land were acquired and big plans were drawn up, with building of the new capital, even though funds proved to be a big challenge.
When Jagan Mohan Reddy became Chief Minister in May 2019, his government alleged huge real estate scam in land acquisition and also plans for the new capital at Amaravati and scrapped the AP Capital Region Development Authority.
CM Jagan passed a new law announcing decentralisation and said the state would have three capitals – a judicial capital at Kurnool, a legislative capital at Amaravati and an executive capital at Vizag.
But that ran into legal trouble.
The government then withdrew its decentralisation bill and cancelled the APCRDA in November. The Andhra Pradesh High Court had ruled in favour of Amaravati farmers in March 2022, asking for the capital to be built at Amaravati as per the master plan given in the Capital Region Development Authority Act, in six months.
The state government went to the Supreme Court.
