Bifurcation act: HC notice to Centre, Andhra Pradesh

Petitioner’s counsel PV Krishnaiah pointed out that the promise made by the then Prime Minister in Parliament regarding special status to AP was not implemented till date.

HYDERABAD: In a significant development, a division bench of the Hyderabad High Court on Monday issued notices to the Centre and Andhra Pradesh government for filing counter affidavits in four weeks explaining why various provisions of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014, were not implemented. 

The bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice J Uma Devi was passing the order while considering a petition filed by Poluri Srinivasa Rao, an agriculturist from Karamchedu Mandal in Prakasam district, seeking directions to the concerned authorities to take steps for according special status to AP and implementation of the provisions of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014.

Petitioner’s counsel PV Krishnaiah pointed out that the promise made by the then Prime Minister in Parliament regarding special status to AP was not implemented till date. Besides, as per Section 94 of the Act, the Centre has to extend financial assistance and provide tax exemptions to both AP and Telangana. However, the Centre has failed to implement the same, he noted.

Referring to Polavaram irrigation project, the counsel said though it was the Centre’s responsibility to construct the Polavaram as it is a national project, the AP government was allowed to take up the works in violation of the law.

Even the new capital for AP has to be decided by the Centre and the latter has to extend financial assistance for it. Besides, the provision for the establishment of railway zone was not implemented. Similarly, several other provisions of the Act were not implemented till date, he added.

After hearing the case, the bench said that it would first hear the version of the Centre and AP government before passing any order, and issued notices to the Union cabinet secretary, secretaries to Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Law and Justice and AP chief secretary for filing counter affidavits on the issue. The bench adjourned the case hearing by four weeks.

Plea in HC on BC population

Hyderabad: The Telangana and Andhra Pradesh states backwards classes welfare associations have filed a petition in the Hyderabad High Court seeking directions to both the state governments and the Centre for publication of details pertaining to BC population. Besides, it also sought directions for publication of details of “Samagra Kutumba Survey - 2014 report” and implementation of 34 per cent reservation to BC in the ensuing Panchayat elections. Petitioners the Telangana BC association president J Srinivas Goud and AP association founder member K Allmmen Raju filed the petition by way of lunch motion before Justice MS Ramachandra Rao on Monday. 

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