VISAKHAPATNAM: The advocates of Andhra Pradesh are gearing up for a fresh bout of agitation to press for establishment of state high court in Visakhapatnam. The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of advocates Sunday demanded two circuit benches for Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema under the supervision of the High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad, as per the recent orders of the High Court. To decide future course of action, the JAC members are planning to conduct its meeting in Prakasham or East Godavari district next month.
A bench comprising chief justice of the High Court Justice Kalyan Jyoti Sengupta and Justice PV Sanjay Kumar in its ruling on May 1 said the state government could establish two circuit benches pending formation of a separate HC in Andhra Pradesh.
JAC convener J Prithviraj, AP High Court Bar Council members S Krishna Mohan and BVR Murthy told newsmen here Sunday that the Centre was still awaiting a letter from the state government on location of the new HC.
“During our meetings with Supreme Court Chief Justice HL Dattu, Union Law minister DV Sadananda Gowda, and Union Urban Development minister M Venkaiah Naidu, we were informed that the delay in bifurcation of the High Court was due to delay in identification of the location for the new HC by the state government,” they added.
Hailing the Telangana government’s decision for division of the HC, the JAC blamed Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for ignoring the recommendations of the Sivaramakrishnan Commission to set up the HC in Visakhapatnam. They suggested that the new HC can be made functional in the existing district court complex and by acquiring the adjacent areas belonging to the Animal Husbandry Department as well as demolishing the Dutch buildings. They said that about `30 crore was already available for construction of the new district court complex building, while the Central government had already promised to allot necessary funds.